RadiovsRadiusWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,782
“Radio” frequency rank
#13,918
“Radius” frequency rank
15700
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Radio Radius
Definition ein elektronisches Gerät, mit dem Hörfunkprogramme empfangen werden können, beispielsweise Nachrichten- oder Musikkanäle Abstand der Kreislinie vom Kreismittelpunkt beziehungsweise der Kugeloberfläche vom Mittelpunkt der Kugel

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Radio
6 ch
Radius

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Radio and Radius form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15700, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Radio is recorded at frequency rank #1,782, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁaːdi̯o]. Radius is at rank #13,918, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁaːdi̯ʊs].

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 15700, this pair ranks #1,941,827 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

Radio#1,782
Radius#13,918

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Radio" and "Radius" be used interchangeably?
No, "Radio" and "Radius" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Radio vs Radius

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 “Radio” 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