Which to use
“polieren” and “probieren” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #29,286
- “polieren” frequency rank
- #3,840
- “probieren” frequency rank
- 33126
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | polieren | probieren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | auf Glanz bringen, durch Reiben glänzend machen, glätten | versuchen; testen; eine Probe machen |
Where the eye mixes polieren and probieren
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. polieren runs 8 letters (CVCVVCVC) against probieren's 9 (CCVCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses polieren with probieren
A purely visual mix-up. polieren ([poˈliːʁən]) and probieren ([pʁoˈbiːʁən]) 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 33126, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
polieren is recorded at frequency rank #29,286, classified as averb, pronounced [poˈliːʁən]. probieren is at rank #3,840, tagged as averb, pronounced [pʁoˈbiːʁən].
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 33126, this pair ranks #1,692,729 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of polieren vs probieren
Shared letters: einopr. Private to "polieren": l. Private to "probieren": b.
"polieren" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC · "probieren" · 9 letters · shape CCVCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "polieren" for "probieren" ever safe?
Frequency check: "polieren" vs "probieren" - which ranks higher?
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 "polieren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "probieren" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,692,729 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "polieren" and "probieren" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "polieren vs posieren". 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 #1,692,729 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.