Which to use
“Stadtbahn” and “Startbahn” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,624
- “Stadtbahn” frequency rank
- #40,860
- “Startbahn” frequency rank
- 67484
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Stadtbahn | Startbahn |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schienengebundene Nahverkehrssystem des Stadtverkehrs, Schnellstraßenbahn, häufig mit vom übrigen Verkehr getrennten oder unterirdischen Abschnitten. Regional (oder umgangssprachlich) auch für S-Bahn | Bahn, Piste, auf der Flugzeuge starten |
Where the eye mixes Stadtbahn and Startbahn
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Stadtbahn and Startbahn
A purely visual mix-up. Stadtbahn ([ˈʃtatˌbaːn]) and Startbahn ([ˈʃtaʁtˌbaːn]) 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 a single letter - d in “Stadtbahn” becomes r in “Startbahn”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67484, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Stadtbahn is recorded at frequency rank #26,624, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtatˌbaːn]. Startbahn is at rank #40,860, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtaʁtˌbaːn].
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 67484, this pair ranks #538,701 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Stadtbahn vs Startbahn
Shared letters: abhnst. Private to "Stadtbahn": d. Private to "Startbahn": r.
"Stadtbahn" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCCVCC · "Startbahn" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Stadtbahn" for "Startbahn" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Stadtbahn" or "Startbahn"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Stadtbahn" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Startbahn" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #538,701 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- 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 #538,701 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.