TanzvsTunsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,488
“Tanz” frequency rank
#44,983
“Tuns” frequency rank
48471
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Tanz Tuns
Definition (rhythmischer) Bewegungsablauf, der zu Musik oder rhythmischen Geräuschen ausgeführt wird Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Tun

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Tanz and Tuns apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Tanz
4 ch
Tuns

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Tanz ([tant͡s]) and Tuns ([tuːns]) 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 48471, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Tanz is recorded at frequency rank #3,488, classified as anoun, pronounced [tant͡s]. Tuns is at rank #44,983, tagged as anoun, pronounced [tuːns].

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 48471, this pair ranks #1,247,403 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Tanz vs Tuns

Shared letters: nt. Private to "Tanz": az. Private to "Tuns": su.

"Tanz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Tuns" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Tanzatnz · tannz · tanzz · tazn · tnaz · ttanz
  • Tunstnus · ttuns · tunns · tunss · tusn · utns

Frequency comparison

Tanz#3,488
Tuns#44,983

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Tanz" and "Tuns" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([tant͡s] versus [tuːns]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Tanz" or "Tuns"?
"Tanz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,488 in our German list, against #44,983 for "Tuns". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Tanz vs Tuns

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 “Tanz” 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