Which to use
“Filz” and “Fink” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,717
- “Filz” frequency rank
- #12,491
- “Fink” frequency rank
- 37208
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Filz | Fink |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | wirrer Faserstoff, der aus nicht gesponnenen (Tier)haaren oder Wolle durch Zusammenpressen hergestellt wird | Vertreter der artenreichen Familie Fringillidae aus der Ordnung der Sperlingsvögel (Passeriformes) |
Where the eye mixes Filz and Fink
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Filz and Fink
A purely visual mix-up. Filz ([fɪlt͡s]) and Fink ([fɪŋk]) 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 37208, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Filz is recorded at frequency rank #24,717, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɪlt͡s]. Fink is at rank #12,491, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɪŋk].
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 37208, this pair ranks #1,596,108 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Filz vs Fink
Shared letters: fi. Private to "Filz": lz. Private to "Fink": kn.
"Filz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "Fink" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Filz" and "Fink" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Filz" or "Fink" show up more?
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 "Filz" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Fink" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,596,108 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Filz" and "Fink" 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 #1,596,108 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.