PioniervsprobierWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Pionier is a noun, probier is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Pionier” is a noun and “probier” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#17,678
“Pionier” frequency rank
#12,366
“probier” frequency rank
30044
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pionier probier
Definition Wegbereiter, Bahnbrecher 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs probieren

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Pionier and probier apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Pionier
7 ch
probier

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Pionier is [pioˈniːɐ̯] while probier is [pʁoˈbiːɐ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30044, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pionier is recorded at frequency rank #17,678, classified as anoun, pronounced [pioˈniːɐ̯]. probier is at rank #12,366, tagged as averb, pronounced [pʁoˈbiːɐ̯].

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 30044, this pair ranks #1,755,465 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Pionier vs probier

Shared letters: eiopr. Private to "Pionier": n. Private to "probier": b.

"Pionier" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVVC  ·  "probier" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pionieriponier · pinoier · pioiner · pioneir · pionierr · pionire · pionnier · poinier
  • probierporbier · pprobier · prboier · probbier · probeir · probierr · probire · proiber

Frequency comparison

Pionier#17,678
probier#12,366

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Pionier" and "probier" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Pionier" is a noun and "probier" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Pionier" or "probier"?
"probier" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,366 in our German list, against #17,678 for "Pionier". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Pionier vs probier

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Pionier”; for a verb, it's “probier”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Pionier” 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