PatevsPlätzeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,335
“Pate” frequency rank
#2,852
“Plätze” frequency rank
22187
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pate Plätze
Definition Ehrenamt in christlichen Kirchen zur Unterstützung der Eltern bei der religiösen Erziehung und Zeuge bei einer Sakramentsspendung Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Platz

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Pate and Plätze apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Pate
6 ch
Plätze

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Pate ([ˈpaːtə]) and Plätze ([ˈplɛt͡sə]) 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 22187, 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]. Plätze is at rank #2,852, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈplɛt͡sə].

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 22187, this pair ranks #1,877,243 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Pate vs Plätze

Shared letters: ept. Private to "Pate": a. Private to "Plätze": lzä.

"Pate" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Plätze" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pateapte · paet · patte · ppate · ptae

Frequency comparison

Pate#19,335
Plätze#2,852

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Pate" and "Plätze" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈpaːtə] versus [ˈplɛt͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Pate" or "Plätze"?
"Plätze" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,852 in our German list, against #19,335 for "Pate". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Pate vs Plätze

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Pate” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list