Which to use
“seel” and “segeln” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,271
- “seel” frequency rank
- #9,976
- “segeln” frequency rank
- 56247
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | seel | segeln |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs seelen | schweben, gleiten, fliegen |
Where the eye mixes seel and segeln
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. seel runs 4 letters (CVVC) against segeln's 6 (CVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: seel vs segeln
A purely visual mix-up. seel ([zeːl]) and segeln ([ˈzeːɡl̩n]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56247, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
seel is recorded at frequency rank #46,271, classified as averb, pronounced [zeːl]. segeln is at rank #9,976, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzeːɡl̩n].
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 56247, this pair ranks #947,668 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of seel vs segeln
Shared letters: els. Private to "seel": -. Private to "segeln": gn.
"seel" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "segeln" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "seel" for "segeln" ever safe?
Frequency check: "seel" vs "segeln" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "seel" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "segeln" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #947,668 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "seel" and "segeln" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "seel vs seg". 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 #947,668 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.