spätesvsSpatzWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: spätes is a adjective, Spatz is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“spätes” is an adjective and “Spatz” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#42,144
“spätes” frequency rank
#27,947
“Spatz” frequency rank
70091
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature spätes Spatz
Definition Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs spät der Sperling (Passer), ein körnerfressender Singvogel, speziell der Haussperling

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set spätes and Spatz apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
spätes
5 ch
Spatz

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: spätes is [ˈʃpɛːtəs] while Spatz is [ʃpat͡s]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 70091, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

spätes is recorded at frequency rank #42,144, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃpɛːtəs]. Spatz is at rank #27,947, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃpat͡s].

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 70091, this pair ranks #456,713 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of spätes vs Spatz

Shared letters: pst. Private to "spätes": . Private to "Spatz": az.

"spätes" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Spatz" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Spatzpsatz · saptz · spattz · spatzz · spazt · sppatz · sptaz · sspatz

Frequency comparison

spätes#42,144
Spatz#27,947

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "spätes" and "Spatz" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "spätes" is an adjective and "Spatz" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "spätes" or "Spatz"?
"Spatz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #27,947 in our German list, against #42,144 for "spätes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering spätes vs Spatz

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “spätes”; for a noun, it's “Spatz”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “spätes” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list