LinsevsLinzerTell them apart

Which to use

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

#18,972
“Linse” frequency rank
#19,294
“Linzer” frequency rank
38266
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Linse Linzer
Definition Vertreter der Gattung Lens aus der Familie der Schmetterlingsblütler, insbesondere Lens culinaris Bewohner von Linz; jemand, der in Linz lebt

Where the eye mixes Linse and Linzer

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

5 ch
Linse
6 ch
Linzer

Visual trap between Linse and Linzer

A purely visual mix-up. Linse ([ˈlɪnzə]) and Linzer ([ˈlɪnt͡sɐ]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38266, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Linse is recorded at frequency rank #18,972, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɪnzə]. Linzer is at rank #19,294, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɪnt͡sɐ].

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 38266, this pair ranks #1,568,386 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Linse vs Linzer

Shared letters: eiln. Private to "Linse": s. Private to "Linzer": rz.

"Linse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Linzer" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Linseilnse · linnse · linsse · lisne · llinse · lnise
  • Linzerilnzer · linezr · linnzer · linzerr · linzre · linzzer · lizner · llinzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Linse" for "Linzer" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlɪnzə] versus [ˈlɪnt͡sɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary German text, does "Linse" or "Linzer" show up more?
"Linse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,972 in our German list, against #19,294 for "Linzer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Linse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Linzer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,568,386 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Linse" and "Linzer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lenzen vs Linzer". 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 #1,568,386 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list