EngpassvsEngpässeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#44,563
“Engpass” frequency rank
#33,560
“Engpässe” frequency rank
78123
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Engpass Engpässe
Definition Knappheit an Ressourcen, wirtschaftlicher Mangel Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Engpass

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Engpass and Engpässe apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Engpass
8 ch
Engpässe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Engpass ([ˈɛŋˌpas]) and Engpässe ([ˈɛŋˌpɛsə]) 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 78123, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Engpass is recorded at frequency rank #44,563, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛŋˌpas]. Engpässe is at rank #33,560, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛŋˌpɛsə].

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 78123, this pair ranks #245,323 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Engpass vs Engpässe

Shared letters: egnps. Private to "Engpass": a. Private to "Engpässe": ä.

"Engpass" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "Engpässe" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Engpassegnpass · engapss · enggpass · engpas · engpaß · engppass · engpsas · enngpass

Frequency comparison

Engpass#44,563
Engpässe#33,560

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Engpass" and "Engpässe" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛŋˌpas] versus [ˈɛŋˌpɛsə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Engpass" or "Engpässe"?
"Engpässe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #33,560 in our German list, against #44,563 for "Engpass". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Engpass vs Engpässe

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Engpass” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list