Which to use
“fate” and “file” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,761
- “fate” frequency rank
- #24,335
- “file” frequency rank
- 60096
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fate | file |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | die (eher leidlichen) Dinge oder Umstände, die jemandem widerfahren; Geschick, Schicksal | Behältnis zur geordneten Aufbewahrung von Briefen oder anderen Dokumenten |
Where the eye mixes fate and file
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: fate vs file
A purely visual mix-up. fate ([feɪt]) and file ([faɪl]) 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 60096, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fate is recorded at frequency rank #35,761, classified as anoun, pronounced [feɪt]. file is at rank #24,335, tagged as anoun, pronounced [faɪl].
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 60096, this pair ranks #799,718 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fate vs file
Shared letters: ef. Private to "fate": at. Private to "file": il.
"fate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "file" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fate" for "file" ever safe?
Frequency check: "fate" vs "file" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fate" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "file" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #799,718 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fate" and "file" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fate vs flame". 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 #799,718 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.