Which to use
“Sanktionen” and “Sektionen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,757
- “Sanktionen” frequency rank
- #27,928
- “Sektionen” frequency rank
- 33685
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Sanktionen | Sektionen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Sanktion | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Sektion |
Where the eye mixes Sanktionen and Sektionen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. Sanktionen runs 10 letters (CVCCCVVCVC) against Sektionen's 9 (CVCCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Sanktionen and Sektionen
A purely visual mix-up. Sanktionen ([zaŋkˈt͡si̯oːnən]) and Sektionen ([zɛkˈt͡si̯oːnən]) 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 33685, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Sanktionen is recorded at frequency rank #5,757, classified as anoun, pronounced [zaŋkˈt͡si̯oːnən]. Sektionen is at rank #27,928, tagged as anoun, pronounced [zɛkˈt͡si̯oːnən].
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 33685, this pair ranks #1,680,327 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Sanktionen vs Sektionen
Shared letters: eiknost. Private to "Sanktionen": a. Private to "Sektionen": -.
"Sanktionen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVC · "Sektionen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Sanktionen ← asnktionen · sakntionen · sankitonen · sankktionen · sanktinoen · sanktioenn · sanktionenn · sanktionne
- Sektionen ← esktionen · sekitonen · sekktionen · sektinoen · sektioenn · sektionenn · sektionne · sektionnen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Sanktionen" for "Sektionen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Sanktionen" or "Sektionen" 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 "Sanktionen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Sektionen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,680,327 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Sanktionen" and "Sektionen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Sektionen vs Sektoren". 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 #1,680,327 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.