Which to use
“Seen” and “Spesen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,816
- “Seen” frequency rank
- #36,028
- “Spesen” frequency rank
- 43844
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Seen | Spesen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs See | Kosten, die in Ausübung einer beruflichen oder geschäftlichen Tätigkeit entstanden sind |
Where the eye mixes Seen and Spesen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Seen and Spesen
A purely visual mix-up. Seen ([ˈzeːən]) and Spesen ([ˈʃpeːzn̩]) 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 43844, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Seen is recorded at frequency rank #7,816, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈzeːən]. Spesen is at rank #36,028, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpeːzn̩].
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 43844, this pair ranks #1,405,132 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Seen vs Spesen
Shared letters: ens. Private to "Seen": -. Private to "Spesen": p.
"Seen" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Spesen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Seen" for "Spesen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Seen" or "Spesen"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Seen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Spesen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,405,132 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Seen" and "Spesen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Spesen vs Stelen". 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 #1,405,132 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.