sansvsSlangWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: sans is a preposition, Slang is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“sans” is a preposition and “Slang” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#19,370
“sans” frequency rank
#44,228
“Slang” frequency rank
63598
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sans Slang
Definition ohne, -los saloppe, zum Teil fehlerhafte und derbe Umgangssprache

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sans and Slang apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
sans
5 ch
Slang

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sans is [sɑ̃] while Slang is [slɛŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (preposition vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sans is recorded at frequency rank #19,370, classified as aprep, pronounced [sɑ̃]. Slang is at rank #44,228, tagged as anoun, pronounced [slɛŋ].

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 63598, this pair ranks #671,107 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sans vs Slang

Shared letters: ans. Private to "sans": -. Private to "Slang": gl.

"sans" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Slang" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sansasns · sanns · sanss · sasn · snas · ssans
  • Slanglsang · salng · slagn · slangg · slanng · sllang · slnag · sslang

Frequency comparison

sans#19,370
Slang#44,228

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sans" and "Slang" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "sans" is a preposition and "Slang" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "sans" or "Slang"?
"sans" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,370 in our German list, against #44,228 for "Slang". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sans vs Slang

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a preposition, it's “sans”; for a noun, it's “Slang”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sans” 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