Which to use
“fast” is an adverb and “First” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #243
- “fast” frequency rank
- #4,197
- “First” frequency rank
- 4440
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fast | First |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht ganz | höchste Kante an einem geneigten Dach |
Where the eye mixes fast and First
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: fast vs First
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fast is [fast] while First is [fɪʁst]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4440, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fast is recorded at frequency rank #243, classified as anadv, pronounced [fast]. First is at rank #4,197, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɪʁst].
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 4440, this pair ranks #1,997,719 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fast vs First
Shared letters: fst. Private to "fast": a. Private to "First": ir.
"fast" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "First" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fast" for "First" ever safe?
Frequency check: "fast" vs "First" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fast" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "First" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,997,719 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fast" and "First" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "First vs fist". 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 #1,997,719 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.