Which to use
“Dez” and “dz” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,123
- “Dez” frequency rank
- #17,857
- “dz” frequency rank
- 30980
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Dez | dz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | regional, mitteldeutsch: umgangssprachliche/saloppe Bezeichnung für Kopf | Digraph in der polnischen Sprache |
Where the eye mixes Dez and dz
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Dez with dz
A purely visual mix-up. Dez ([deːt͡s]) and dz ([d͡zɛ]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30980, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Dez is recorded at frequency rank #13,123, classified as anoun, pronounced [deːt͡s]. dz is at rank #17,857, tagged as anoun, pronounced [d͡zɛ].
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 30980, this pair ranks #1,737,185 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Dez vs dz
Shared letters: dz. Private to "Dez": e. Private to "dz": -.
"Dez" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "dz" · 2 letters · shape CC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Dez" for "dz" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Dez" or "dz" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Dez" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "dz" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,737,185 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Dez" and "dz" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "duc vs dz". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,737,185 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.