Which to use
“PA” is an abbrev and “per” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,972
- “PA” frequency rank
- #673
- “per” frequency rank
- 8645
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | PA | per |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Polyamid; (nach DIN-EN-ISO 1043), ein Gattungsname für synthetische Polymere | mittels |
Where the eye mixes PA and per
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: PA vs per
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: PA is [peːˈaː] while per is [pɛʁ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (abbrev vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8645, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
PA is recorded at frequency rank #7,972, classified as anabbrev, pronounced [peːˈaː]. per is at rank #673, tagged as aprep, pronounced [pɛʁ].
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 8645, this pair ranks #1,983,456 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of PA vs per
Shared letters: p. Private to "PA": a. Private to "per": er.
"PA" · 2 letters · shape CV · "per" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "PA" and "per" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "PA" or "per" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "PA" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "per" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,983,456 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "PA" and "per" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "PA vs PMS". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,983,456 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.