Which to use
“sein” is a verb and “Steins” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #63
- “sein” frequency rank
- #31,806
- “Steins” frequency rank
- 31869
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sein | Steins |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Kopula, die dem Subjekt ein logisches Prädikat zuordnet | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Stein |
Where the eye mixes sein and Steins
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between sein and Steins
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sein is [zaɪ̯n] while Steins is [ʃtaɪ̯ns]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31869, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sein is recorded at frequency rank #63, classified as averb, pronounced [zaɪ̯n]. Steins is at rank #31,806, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃtaɪ̯ns].
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 31869, this pair ranks #1,719,385 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of sein vs Steins
Shared letters: eins. Private to "sein": -. Private to "Steins": t.
"sein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Steins" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sein" and "Steins" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "sein" or "Steins" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "sein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Steins" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,719,385 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sein" and "Steins" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "steigst vs Steins". 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 #1,719,385 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.