Which to use
“Explosiv” and “Explosive” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,257
- “Explosiv” frequency rank
- #37,504
- “Explosive” frequency rank
- 82761
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Explosiv | Explosive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Laut, der durch das explosive Ausströmen des Phonationsstromes, der zuvor gestoppt wurde, entsteht | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Explosiv |
Where the eye mixes Explosiv and Explosive
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Explosiv with Explosive
A purely visual mix-up. Explosiv ([ɛksploˈziːf]) and Explosive ([ɛksploˈziːvə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Explosiv” sits inside “Explosive”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 82761, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Explosiv is recorded at frequency rank #45,257, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛksploˈziːf]. 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 82761, this pair ranks #151,463 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Explosiv vs Explosive
Shared letters: eilopsvx. Private to "Explosiv": -. Private to "Explosive": -.
"Explosiv" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC · "Explosive" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Explosiv" and "Explosive" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Explosiv" or "Explosive"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Explosiv" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Explosive" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #151,463 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Explosiv" and "Explosive" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "exklusiv vs Explosiv". 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 #151,463 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.