DeputyvsDeutWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#38,045
“Deputy” frequency rank
#21,940
“Deut” frequency rank
59985
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Deputy Deut
Definition Mitarbeiter des Sheriffs in der US-amerikanischen Polizei-Organisation gar nichts, gar nicht

Where the eye mixes Deputy and Deut

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Deputy runs 6 letters (CVCVCV) against Deut's 4 (CVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

6 ch
Deputy
4 ch
Deut

Visual trap between Deputy and Deut

A purely visual mix-up. Deputy ([ˈdɛpjəti]) and Deut ([dɔɪ̯t]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59985, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Deputy is recorded at frequency rank #38,045, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈdɛpjəti]. Deut is at rank #21,940, tagged as anoun, pronounced [dɔɪ̯t].

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 59985, this pair ranks #803,934 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Deputy vs Deut

Shared letters: detu. Private to "Deputy": py. Private to "Deut": -.

"Deputy" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "Deut" · 4 letters · shape CVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Deputy ← ddeputy · depputy · deptuy · deputty · deputyy · depuyt · deupty · dpeuty
  • Deut ← ddeut · detu · edut

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Deputy" for "Deut" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdɛpjəti] versus [dɔɪ̯t]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Deputy" vs "Deut" - which ranks higher?
"Deut" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,940 in our German list, against #38,045 for "Deputy". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "Deputy" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Deut" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #803,934 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Deputy" and "Deut" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Deputy vs deute". 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 #803,934 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