PickelvsPimmelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,697
“Pickel” frequency rank
#22,095
“Pimmel” frequency rank
42792
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pickel Pimmel
Definition eitrig entzündete Erhebung der Haut männliches Geschlechtsglied

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Pickel and Pimmel apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Pickel
6 ch
Pimmel

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Pickel ([ˈpɪkl̩]) and Pimmel ([ˈpɪml̩]) 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 42792, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pickel is recorded at frequency rank #20,697, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpɪkl̩]. Pimmel is at rank #22,095, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpɪml̩].

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 42792, this pair ranks #1,438,305 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Pickel vs Pimmel

Shared letters: eilp. Private to "Pickel": ck. Private to "Pimmel": m.

"Pickel" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Pimmel" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pickelipckel · pcikel · picckel · picekl · pickell · pickkel · pickle · pikcel
  • Pimmelipmmel · pimel · pimeml · pimmell · pimmle · pmimel · ppimmel

Frequency comparison

Pickel#20,697
Pimmel#22,095

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Pickel" and "Pimmel" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈpɪkl̩] versus [ˈpɪml̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Pickel" or "Pimmel"?
"Pickel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,697 in our German list, against #22,095 for "Pimmel". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Pickel vs Pimmel

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 “Pickel” 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