ServervsSperberConfusable pair

Which to use

“Server” and “Sperber” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#2,790
“Server” frequency rank
#44,234
“Sperber” frequency rank
47024
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Server Sperber
Definition Computer in einem Netzwerk, der für andere Computer Dienste bereitstellt der kleinste deutsche Greifvogel

Where the eye mixes Server and Sperber

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

6 ch
Server
7 ch
Sperber

Visual trap between Server and Sperber

A purely visual mix-up. Server ([ˈsœːvə(r)]) and Sperber ([ˈʃpɛʁbɐ]) 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 47024, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Server is recorded at frequency rank #2,790, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈsœːvə(r)]. Sperber is at rank #44,234, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpɛʁbɐ].

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 47024, this pair ranks #1,298,857 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Server vs Sperber

Shared letters: ers. Private to "Server": v. Private to "Sperber": bp.

"Server" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Sperber" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Serveresrver · serevr · serrver · serverr · servre · servver · sevrer · srever
  • Sperberpserber · seprber · spebrer · sperbber · sperberr · sperbre · sperebr · sperrber

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Server" and "Sperber" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈsœːvə(r)] versus [ˈʃpɛʁbɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Server" vs "Sperber" - which ranks higher?
"Server" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,790 in our German list, against #44,234 for "Sperber". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

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 "Server" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Sperber" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,298,857 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Server" and "Sperber" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Serbe vs Sperber". 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 #1,298,857 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list