Which to use
“fox” and “FSB” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,658
- “fox” frequency rank
- #41,175
- “FSB” frequency rank
- 47833
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fox | FSB |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | der Fuchs | russischer Inlandsgeheimdienst und Geheimpolizei |
Where the eye mixes fox and FSB
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between fox and FSB
A purely visual mix-up. fox ([fɒks]) 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 47833, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fox is recorded at frequency rank #6,658, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɒks]. 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 47833, this pair ranks #1,270,307 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fox vs FSB
Shared letters: f. Private to "fox": ox. Private to "FSB": bs.
"fox" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "FSB" · 3 letters · shape CCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "fox" for "FSB" ever safe?
Frequency check: "fox" vs "FSB" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "fox" and "FSB" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "fox" 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 #1,270,307 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fox" and "FSB" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fist vs FSB". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,270,307 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.