CodevscollTell them apart

Which to use

“Code” and “coll” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#2,434
“Code” frequency rank
#42,406
“coll” frequency rank
44840
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Code coll
Definition ein System von Übereinkünften, das die eindeutige Zuordnung von Zeichen und Zeichenfolgen zweier verschiedener Zeichensysteme festlegt oder auch ein solches Zeichensystem selbst der Hals, das Genick

Where the eye mixes Code and coll

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.

4 ch
Code
4 ch
coll

Look-alike desk: Code vs coll

A purely visual mix-up. Code ([koːt]) and coll ([kɔʎ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44840, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Code is recorded at frequency rank #2,434, classified as anoun, pronounced [koːt]. coll is at rank #42,406, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔʎ].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 44840, this pair ranks #1,373,038 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Code vs coll

Shared letters: co. Private to "Code": de. Private to "coll": l.

"Code" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "coll" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Codeccode · cdoe · codde · coed · ocde
  • collccoll · clol · ocll

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Code" for "coll" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([koːt] versus [kɔʎ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Code" or "coll"?
"Code" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,434 in our German list, against #42,406 for "coll". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Code" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "coll" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,373,038 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Code" and "coll" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Cali vs coll". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,373,038 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list