SigmavsSimsConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#29,330
“Sigma” frequency rank
#21,769
“Sims” frequency rank
51099
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Sigma Sims
Definition achtzehnter Buchstabe des griechischen Alphabets waagrechter, langgestreckter, oftmals kunstvoll gestalteter Wandvorsprung an einem Haus

Where the eye mixes Sigma and Sims

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. Sigma runs 5 letters (CVCCV) against Sims's 4 (CVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

5 ch
Sigma
4 ch
Sims

Look-alike desk: Sigma vs Sims

A purely visual mix-up. Sigma ([ˈzɪɡma]) and Sims ([zɪms]) 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 51099, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Sigma is recorded at frequency rank #29,330, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈzɪɡma]. Sims is at rank #21,769, tagged as anoun, pronounced [zɪms].

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 51099, this pair ranks #1,148,506 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Sigma vs Sims

Shared letters: ims. Private to "Sigma": ag. Private to "Sims": -.

"Sigma" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Sims" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Sigma ← isgma · sgima · sigam · siggma · sigmma · simga · ssigma
  • Sims ← isms · simms · simss · sism · smis · ssims

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Sigma" for "Sims" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈzɪɡma] versus [zɪms]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Sigma" or "Sims"?
"Sims" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,769 in our German list, against #29,330 for "Sigma". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Eye-level mix-up between "Sigma" and "Sims" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Sigma" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Sims" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,148,506 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Sigma" and "Sims" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sega vs Sigma". 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 #1,148,506 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