StärkevsStartWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,998
“Stärke” frequency rank
#1,094
“Start” frequency rank
4092
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Stärke Start
Definition Kraft, Macht, Potenz, Vermögen, insbesondere absichtsvoller Beginn einer Tätigkeit/eines Projekts

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Stärke and Start apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Stärke
5 ch
Start

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Stärke ([ˈʃtɛʁkə]) and Start ([ʃtaʁt]) 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 4092, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Stärke is recorded at frequency rank #2,998, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtɛʁkə]. Start is at rank #1,094, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʃtaʁt].

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 4092, this pair ranks #1,998,606 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Stärke vs Start

Shared letters: rst. Private to "Stärke": ekä. Private to "Start": a.

"Stärke" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV  ·  "Start" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Startsatrt · sstart · startt · statr · strat · sttart · tsart

Frequency comparison

Stärke#2,998
Start#1,094

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Stärke" and "Start" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃtɛʁkə] versus [ʃtaʁt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Stärke" or "Start"?
"Start" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,094 in our German list, against #2,998 for "Stärke". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Stärke vs Start

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 “Stärke” 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