Which to use
“fil” and “FSB” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #43,176
- “fil” frequency rank
- #41,175
- “FSB” frequency rank
- 84351
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fil | FSB |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mächtiges Säugetier mit Rüssel und Stoßzähnen; Elefant | russischer Inlandsgeheimdienst und Geheimpolizei |
Where the eye mixes fil and FSB
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. fil (CVC) and FSB (CCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: fil vs FSB
A purely visual mix-up. fil ([fiɫ]) and FSB ([ɛfʔɛsˈbeː]) 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 84351, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fil is recorded at frequency rank #43,176, classified as anoun, pronounced [fiɫ]. FSB is at rank #41,175, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛfʔɛsˈbeː].
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 84351, this pair ranks #125,147 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of fil vs FSB
Shared letters: f. Private to "fil": il. Private to "FSB": bs.
"fil" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "FSB" · 3 letters · shape CCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fil" and "FSB" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "fil" vs "FSB" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "fil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "FSB" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #125,147 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fil" and "FSB" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fil vs fist". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #125,147 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.