Which to use
“Pate” and “Patzer” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,335
- “Pate” frequency rank
- #37,126
- “Patzer” frequency rank
- 56461
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pate | Patzer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ehrenamt in christlichen Kirchen zur Unterstützung der Eltern bei der religiösen Erziehung und Zeuge bei einer Sakramentsspendung | nicht schwerwiegender Fehler |
Where the eye mixes Pate and Patzer
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: Pate vs Patzer
A purely visual mix-up. Pate ([ˈpaːtə]) and Patzer ([ˈpat͡sɐ]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56461, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pate is recorded at frequency rank #19,335, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpaːtə]. Patzer is at rank #37,126, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpat͡sɐ].
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 56461, this pair ranks #939,291 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pate vs Patzer
Shared letters: aept. Private to "Pate": -. Private to "Patzer": rz.
"Pate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "Patzer" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Pate" and "Patzer" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Pate" or "Patzer"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Pate" and "Patzer" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pate" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Patzer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #939,291 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pate" and "Patzer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Patzer vs platter". 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 #939,291 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.