Which to use
“Pfad” and “Pfahl” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,788
- “Pfad” frequency rank
- #31,728
- “Pfahl” frequency rank
- 41516
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfad | Pfahl |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schmaler Weg, der nur von Fußgängern benutzt wird | bearbeitetes, schmales, aufrecht stehendes säulenartiges Bauteil, zum Beispiel aus Holz, Metall oder Stein |
Where the eye mixes Pfad and Pfahl
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. Pfad runs 4 letters (CCVC) against Pfahl's 5 (CCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Pfad vs Pfahl
A purely visual mix-up. Pfad ([p͡faːt]) and Pfahl ([p͡faːl]) 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 41516, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pfad is recorded at frequency rank #9,788, classified as anoun, pronounced [p͡faːt]. Pfahl is at rank #31,728, tagged as anoun, pronounced [p͡faːl].
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 41516, this pair ranks #1,477,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pfad vs Pfahl
Shared letters: afp. Private to "Pfad": d. Private to "Pfahl": hl.
"Pfad" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "Pfahl" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Pfad" for "Pfahl" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Pfad" or "Pfahl" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfad" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfahl" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,477,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfad" and "Pfahl" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pfaff vs Pfahl". 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 #1,477,098 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.