KommissarvsKommissareWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,352
“Kommissar” frequency rank
#29,194
“Kommissare” frequency rank
36546
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kommissar Kommissare
Definition mit Vollmachten ausgestatteter Regierungsbeauftragter Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kommissar

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Kommissar and Kommissare apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Kommissar
10 ch
Kommissare

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kommissar ([kɔmɪˈsaːɐ̯]) and Kommissare ([kɔmɪˈsaːʁə]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “Kommissar” sits inside “Kommissare”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36546, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kommissar is recorded at frequency rank #7,352, classified as anoun, pronounced [kɔmɪˈsaːɐ̯]. Kommissare is at rank #29,194, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔmɪˈsaːʁə].

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 36546, this pair ranks #1,612,861 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kommissar vs Kommissare

Shared letters: aikmors. Private to "Kommissar": -. Private to "Kommissare": e.

"Kommissar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "Kommissare" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kommissarkkommissar · kmomissar · komimssar · komissar · kommisar · kommisasr · kommissarr · kommissra
  • Kommissarekkommissare · kmomissare · komimssare · komissare · kommisare · kommisasre · kommissaer · kommissarre

Frequency comparison

Kommissar#7,352
Kommissare#29,194

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kommissar" and "Kommissare" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɔmɪˈsaːɐ̯] versus [kɔmɪˈsaːʁə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kommissar" or "Kommissare"?
"Kommissar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,352 in our German list, against #29,194 for "Kommissare". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kommissar vs Kommissare

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 “Kommissar” 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