Which to use
“fail” and “Foul” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #27,286
- “fail” frequency rank
- #16,991
- “Foul” frequency rank
- 44277
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fail | Foul |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein Ausfall, ein Fehlschlag | Regelverstoß, bei dem der Gegenspieler mit unfairen und unsportlichen Mitteln benachteiligt wird |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fail and Foul apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. fail ([feɪl]) and Foul ([faʊ̯l]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44277, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fail is recorded at frequency rank #27,286, classified as anoun, pronounced [feɪl]. Foul is at rank #16,991, tagged as anoun, pronounced [faʊ̯l].
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 44277, this pair ranks #1,391,379 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fail vs Foul
Shared letters: fl. Private to "fail": ai. Private to "Foul": ou.
"fail" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Foul" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fail" and "Foul" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fail" or "Foul"?
Remembering fail vs Foul
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 “fail” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable