Which to use
“Spule” and “Spur” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,801
- “Spule” frequency rank
- #2,469
- “Spur” frequency rank
- 34270
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Spule | Spur |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Rolle, die mit einem Faden umwickelt ist | hinweisgebende Hinterlassenschaft |
Where the eye mixes Spule and Spur
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Spule with Spur
A purely visual mix-up. Spule ([ˈʃpuːlə]) and Spur ([ʃpuːɐ̯]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 34270, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Spule is recorded at frequency rank #31,801, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃpuːlə]. Spur is at rank #2,469, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃpuːɐ̯].
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 34270, this pair ranks #1,667,156 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Spule vs Spur
Shared letters: psu. Private to "Spule": el. Private to "Spur": r.
"Spule" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "Spur" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Spule" and "Spur" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Spule" vs "Spur" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Spule" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Spur" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,667,156 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Spule" and "Spur" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "skull vs Spule". 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 #1,667,156 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.