SpitalvsSpitzeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,487
“Spital” frequency rank
#1,570
“Spitze” frequency rank
15057
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Spital Spitze
Definition Gebäude oder Gebäudekomplex, in dem Kranke behandelt oder beherbergt werden der oberste, schmal zulaufende Teil eines Gegenstandes oder einer Formation

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Spital and Spitze apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Spital
6 ch
Spitze

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Spital ([ʃpiˈtaːl]) and Spitze ([ˈʃpɪt͡sə]) 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 15057, 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]. Spitze is at rank #1,570, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpɪt͡sə].

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 15057, this pair ranks #1,946,709 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Spital vs Spitze

Shared letters: ipst. Private to "Spital": al. Private to "Spitze": ez.

"Spital" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Spitze" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Spitalpsital · siptal · spiatl · spitall · spitla · spittal · sppital · sptial
  • Spitzepsitze · siptze · spitez · spittze · spitzze · spizte · sppitze · sptize

Frequency comparison

Spital#13,487
Spitze#1,570

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Spital" and "Spitze" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃpiˈtaːl] versus [ˈʃpɪt͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Spital" or "Spitze"?
"Spitze" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,570 in our German list, against #13,487 for "Spital". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Spital vs Spitze

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