SpitalvsSpitälerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,487
“Spital” frequency rank
#45,601
“Spitäler” frequency rank
59088
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Spital Spitäler
Definition Gebäude oder Gebäudekomplex, in dem Kranke behandelt oder beherbergt werden Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Spital

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Spital and Spitäler apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Spital
8 ch
Spitäler

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Spital ([ʃpiˈtaːl]) and Spitäler ([ʃpiˈtɛːlɐ]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59088, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Spital is recorded at frequency rank #13,487, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʃpiˈtaːl]. Spitäler is at rank #45,601, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃpiˈtɛːlɐ].

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 59088, this pair ranks #837,794 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Spital vs Spitäler

Shared letters: ilpst. Private to "Spital": a. Private to "Spitäler": erä.

"Spital" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Spitäler" · 8 letters · shape CCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Spitalpsital · siptal · spiatl · spitall · spitla · spittal · sppital · sptial

Frequency comparison

Spital#13,487
Spitäler#45,601

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Spital" and "Spitäler" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃpiˈtaːl] versus [ʃpiˈtɛːlɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Spital" or "Spitäler"?
"Spital" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,487 in our German list, against #45,601 for "Spitäler". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Spital vs Spitäler

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 “Spital” 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