Which to use
“Pech” and “pic” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,547
- “Pech” frequency rank
- #21,730
- “pic” frequency rank
- 26277
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pech | pic |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Rückstand bei der Teerherstellung | Specht |
Where the eye mixes Pech and pic
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Pech with pic
A purely visual mix-up. Pech ([pɛç]) and pic ([pik]) 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 26277, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pech is recorded at frequency rank #4,547, classified as anoun, pronounced [pɛç]. pic is at rank #21,730, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pik].
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 26277, this pair ranks #1,820,546 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Pech vs pic
Shared letters: cp. Private to "Pech": eh. Private to "pic": i.
"Pech" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "pic" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Pech ← epch · pceh · pecch · pechh · pehc · ppech
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Pech" and "pic" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Pech" vs "pic" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pech" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pic" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,820,546 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pech" and "pic" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pic 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 #1,820,546 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.