Which to use
“Spässe” and “Speise” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,242
- “Spässe” frequency rank
- #24,931
- “Speise” frequency rank
- 69173
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Spässe | Speise |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Spass | Mahlzeit, zubereitetes Gericht |
Where the eye mixes Spässe and Speise
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Spässe (CCVCCV) and Speise (CCVVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: Spässe vs Speise
A purely visual mix-up. Spässe ([ˈʃpɛːsə]) and Speise ([ˈʃpaɪ̯zə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69173, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Spässe is recorded at frequency rank #44,242, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpɛːsə]. Speise is at rank #24,931, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpaɪ̯zə].
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 69173, this pair ranks #484,765 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Spässe vs Speise
Shared letters: eps. Private to "Spässe": ä. Private to "Speise": i.
"Spässe" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV · "Speise" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Speise ← pseise · sepise · speies · speisse · spesie · spiese · sppeise · sspeise
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Spässe" and "Speise" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Spässe" or "Speise"?
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 "Spässe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Speise" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #484,765 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Spässe" and "Speise" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sparst vs Spässe". 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 #484,765 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.