Which to use
“patt” is an adjective and “platzt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #45,502
- “patt” frequency rank
- #14,385
- “platzt” frequency rank
- 59887
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | patt | platzt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Im Schachspiel: nicht im Schach zu stehen, jedoch keinen regelgerechten Zug mehr ausführen können, ohne in ein Schach zu geraten; die Partie wird dann als unentschieden gewertet | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs platzen |
Where the eye mixes patt and platzt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses patt with platzt
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: patt is [pat] while platzt is [plat͡st]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59887, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
patt is recorded at frequency rank #45,502, classified as anadj, pronounced [pat]. platzt is at rank #14,385, tagged as averb, pronounced [plat͡st].
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 59887, this pair ranks #807,648 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of patt vs platzt
Shared letters: apt. Private to "patt": -. Private to "platzt": lz.
"patt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "platzt" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "patt" and "platzt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "patt" or "platzt" show up more?
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 "patt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "platzt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #807,648 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "patt" and "platzt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "patt vs Pau". 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 #807,648 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.