Which to use
“sank” is a verb and “stan” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,128
- “sank” frequency rank
- #14,676
- “stan” frequency rank
- 22804
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sank | stan |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs sinken | Wohnung |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sank and stan apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sank is [zaŋk] while stan is [ˈstaːn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22804, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sank is recorded at frequency rank #8,128, classified as averb, pronounced [zaŋk]. stan is at rank #14,676, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈstaːn].
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 22804, this pair ranks #1,869,547 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of sank vs stan
Shared letters: ans. Private to "sank": k. Private to "stan": t.
"sank" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "stan" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sank" and "stan" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sank" or "stan"?
Remembering sank vs stan
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “sank”; for a noun, it's “stan”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sank” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable