Which to use
“Rates” and “Rätsel” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,075
- “Rates” frequency rank
- #5,112
- “Rätsel” frequency rank
- 14187
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Rates | Rätsel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Rat | Aufgabe, in Form einer Frage oder auch in graphischer Form, die durch Raten und Nachdenken zu lösen ist |
Where the eye mixes Rates and Rätsel
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: Rates vs Rätsel
A purely visual mix-up. Rates ([ˈʁaːtəs]) and Rätsel ([ˈʁɛːt͡sl̩]) 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 14187, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Rates is recorded at frequency rank #9,075, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁaːtəs]. Rätsel is at rank #5,112, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁɛːt͡sl̩].
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 14187, this pair ranks #1,952,984 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Rates vs Rätsel
Shared letters: erst. Private to "Rates": a. Private to "Rätsel": lä.
"Rates" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Rätsel" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Rates ← artes · raets · ratess · ratse · rattes · rrates · rtaes
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Rates" and "Rätsel" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Rates" or "Rätsel" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Rates" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Rätsel" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,952,984 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Rates" and "Rätsel" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Ramen vs Rates". 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 #1,952,984 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.