KommissarvsKommissarinWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,352
“Kommissar” frequency rank
#28,735
“Kommissarin” frequency rank
36087
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kommissar Kommissarin
Definition mit Vollmachten ausgestatteter Regierungsbeauftragter mit Vollmachten ausgestattete Regierungsbeauftragte

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Kommissar
11 ch
Kommissarin

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kommissar ([kɔmɪˈsaːɐ̯]) and Kommissarin ([kɔmɪˈsaːʁɪn]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Kommissar” sits inside “Kommissarin”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36087, 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]. Kommissarin is at rank #28,735, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔmɪˈsaːʁɪn].

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 36087, this pair ranks #1,624,239 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kommissar vs Kommissarin

Shared letters: aikmors. Private to "Kommissar": -. Private to "Kommissarin": n.

"Kommissar" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "Kommissarin" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kommissarkkommissar · kmomissar · komimssar · komissar · kommisar · kommisasr · kommissarr · kommissra
  • Kommissarinkkommissarin · kmomissarin · komimssarin · komissarin · kommisarin · kommisasrin · kommissairn · kommissarinn

Frequency comparison

Kommissar#7,352
Kommissarin#28,735

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kommissar" and "Kommissarin" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɔmɪˈsaːɐ̯] versus [kɔmɪˈsaːʁɪn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kommissar" or "Kommissarin"?
"Kommissar" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,352 in our German list, against #28,735 for "Kommissarin". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kommissar vs Kommissarin

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