Which to use
“file” and “Filz” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,335
- “file” frequency rank
- #24,717
- “Filz” frequency rank
- 49052
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | file | Filz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Behältnis zur geordneten Aufbewahrung von Briefen oder anderen Dokumenten | wirrer Faserstoff, der aus nicht gesponnenen (Tier)haaren oder Wolle durch Zusammenpressen hergestellt wird |
Where the eye mixes file and Filz
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between file and Filz
A purely visual mix-up. file ([faɪl]) and Filz ([fɪlt͡s]) 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 a single letter - e in “file” becomes z in “Filz”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49052, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
file is recorded at frequency rank #24,335, classified as anoun, pronounced [faɪl]. Filz is at rank #24,717, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɪlt͡s].
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 49052, this pair ranks #1,225,865 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of file vs Filz
Shared letters: fil. Private to "file": e. Private to "Filz": z.
"file" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "Filz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "file" and "Filz" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "file" vs "Filz" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "file" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Filz" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,225,865 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "file" and "Filz" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Filz 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 #1,225,865 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.