Which to use
“Pass” and “Phase” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,315
- “Pass” frequency rank
- #2,407
- “Phase” frequency rank
- 4722
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pass | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dokument, das für Auslandsreisen erforderlich ist, falls es zwischen dem Heimatland und dem Zielland keine Sondervereinbarungen gibt; Reisepass | stetig verlaufender Entwicklungsabschnitt oder stetiger zeitlicher Ablauf |
Where the eye mixes Pass and Phase
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Pass with Phase
A purely visual mix-up. Pass ([pas]) and Phase ([ˈfaːzə]) 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 4722, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pass is recorded at frequency rank #2,315, classified as anoun, pronounced [pas]. Phase is at rank #2,407, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfaːzə].
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 4722, this pair ranks #1,996,861 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Pass vs Phase
Shared letters: aps. Private to "Pass": -. Private to "Phase": eh.
"Pass" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "Phase" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Pass" for "Phase" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Pass" vs "Phase" - which ranks higher?
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 "Pass" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Phase" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,996,861 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pass" and "Phase" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pass vs PMS". 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 #1,996,861 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.