Which to use
“Probe” and “Problem” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,209
- “Probe” frequency rank
- #381
- “Problem” frequency rank
- 5590
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Probe | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | das Einstudieren bei aufführenden Künsten | schwierige, noch ungelöste Aufgabe |
Where the eye mixes Probe and Problem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Probe with Problem
A purely visual mix-up. Probe ([ˈpʁoːbə]) and Problem ([pʁoˈbleːm]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5590, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Probe is recorded at frequency rank #5,209, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpʁoːbə]. Problem is at rank #381, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pʁoˈbleːm].
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 5590, this pair ranks #1,994,294 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Probe vs Problem
Shared letters: beopr. Private to "Probe": -. Private to "Problem": lm.
"Probe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "Problem" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Probe" for "Problem" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Probe" or "Problem"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "Probe" and "Problem" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Probe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Problem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,994,294 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Probe" and "Problem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "prob vs Probe". 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 #1,994,294 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.