KastevsKatzeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Kaste” and “Katze” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#45,378
“Kaste” frequency rank
#2,659
“Katze” frequency rank
48037
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kaste Katze
Definition geschlossene Gesellschaftsschicht innerhalb einer (insbesondere der hinduistischen) Gesellschaftsordnung in zahlreichen Rassen gezüchtetes, dem Menschen verbundenes, anschmiegsames Haustier (Felis silvestris catus)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Kaste and Katze apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Kaste
5 ch
Katze

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kaste ([ˈkastə]) and Katze ([ˈkat͡sə]) 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 48037, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kaste is recorded at frequency rank #45,378, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkastə]. Katze is at rank #2,659, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkat͡sə].

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 48037, this pair ranks #1,263,127 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Kaste vs Katze

Shared letters: aekt. Private to "Kaste": s. Private to "Katze": z.

"Kaste" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Katze" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kasteakste · kaset · kasste · kastte · katse · kkaste · ksate
  • Katzeaktze · katez · kattze · katzze · kazte · kkatze · ktaze

Frequency comparison

Kaste#45,378
Katze#2,659

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kaste" and "Katze" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkastə] versus [ˈkat͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kaste" or "Katze"?
"Katze" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,659 in our German list, against #45,378 for "Kaste". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Kaste vs Katze

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Kaste” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list