Which to use
“Pfau” and “Plan” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,215
- “Pfau” frequency rank
- #1,167
- “Plan” frequency rank
- 32382
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfau | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ziervogel mit auffälligem, dekorativem Schwanzgefieder | ein durchdachtes Vorhaben, eine Idee oder Vorstellung einer Vorgehensweise |
Where the eye mixes Pfau and Plan
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Pfau with Plan
A purely visual mix-up. Pfau ([p͡faʊ̯]) and Plan ([plaːn]) 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 32382, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pfau is recorded at frequency rank #31,215, classified as anoun, pronounced [p͡faʊ̯]. Plan is at rank #1,167, tagged as anoun, pronounced [plaːn].
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 32382, this pair ranks #1,708,822 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Pfau vs Plan
Shared letters: ap. Private to "Pfau": fu. Private to "Plan": ln.
"Pfau" · 4 letters · shape CCVV · "Plan" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Pfau" for "Plan" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Pfau" or "Plan"?
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 "Pfau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Plan" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,708,822 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfau" and "Plan" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pau vs Pfau". 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 #1,708,822 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.