Which to use
“Explosion” and “Explosive” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,422
- “Explosion” frequency rank
- #37,504
- “Explosive” frequency rank
- 43926
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Explosion | Explosive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plötzliche, mit lautem Knall verbundene Volumenausdehnung auf Grund von chemischen oder kernphysikalischen Reaktionen bei gleichzeitigem Temperatur- und Druckanstieg, die zur Beschädigung oder Zerstörung der Umgebung führt | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Explosiv |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Explosion and Explosive apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Explosion and Explosive form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43926, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Explosion is recorded at frequency rank #6,422, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛksploˈzi̯oːn]. Explosive is at rank #37,504, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛksploˈziːvə].
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 43926, this pair ranks #1,402,607 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Explosion" and "Explosive" be used interchangeably?
Remembering Explosion vs Explosive
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 “Explosion” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable