Which to use
“Speise” and “Sperre” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,931
- “Speise” frequency rank
- #10,943
- “Sperre” frequency rank
- 35874
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Speise | Sperre |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mahlzeit, zubereitetes Gericht | ein Bauwerk, das den freien Verkehr einschränkt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Speise and Sperre apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. Speise ([ˈʃpaɪ̯zə]) and Sperre ([ˈʃpɛʁə]) 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 35874, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Speise is recorded at frequency rank #24,931, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpaɪ̯zə]. Sperre is at rank #10,943, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpɛʁə].
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 35874, this pair ranks #1,629,435 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Speise vs Sperre
Shared letters: eps. Private to "Speise": i. Private to "Sperre": r.
"Speise" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV · "Sperre" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Speise" and "Sperre" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Speise" or "Sperre"?
Remembering Speise vs Sperre
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Speise” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable