Which to use
“Spatz” is a noun and “state” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #27,947
- “Spatz” frequency rank
- #7,114
- “state” frequency rank
- 35061
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Spatz | state |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | der Sperling (Passer), ein körnerfressender Singvogel, speziell der Haussperling | auf den Staat bezogen: staatlich |
Where the eye mixes Spatz and state
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Spatz and state
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Spatz is [ʃpat͡s] while state is [steit]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35061, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Spatz is recorded at frequency rank #27,947, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃpat͡s]. state is at rank #7,114, tagged as anadj, pronounced [steit].
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 35061, this pair ranks #1,648,997 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Spatz vs state
Shared letters: ast. Private to "Spatz": pz. Private to "state": e.
"Spatz" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "state" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Spatz" and "state" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Spatz" or "state"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Spatz" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "state" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,648,997 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Spatz" and "state" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Späth vs Spatz". 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 #1,648,997 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.