Which to use
“Pate” and “pays” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,335
- “Pate” frequency rank
- #41,381
- “pays” frequency rank
- 60716
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pate | pays |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ehrenamt in christlichen Kirchen zur Unterstützung der Eltern bei der religiösen Erziehung und Zeuge bei einer Sakramentsspendung | Plural des Substantivs pay |
Where the eye mixes Pate and pays
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Pate (CVCV) and pays (CVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Pate with pays
A purely visual mix-up. Pate ([ˈpaːtə]) and pays ([peɪz]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60716, 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]. pays is at rank #41,381, tagged as anoun, pronounced [peɪz].
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 60716, this pair ranks #776,630 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pate vs pays
Shared letters: ap. Private to "Pate": et. Private to "pays": sy.
"Pate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "pays" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Pate" and "pays" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Pate" vs "pays" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pate" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pays" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #776,630 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pate" and "pays" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pays 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 #776,630 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.