Which to use
“tape” and “taut” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,052
- “tape” frequency rank
- #49,293
- “taut” frequency rank
- 68345
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tape | taut |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs tapen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs tauen |
Where the eye mixes tape and taut
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. tape (CVCV) and taut (CVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: tape vs taut
A purely visual mix-up. tape ([ˈtɛɪ̯pə]) and taut ([taʊ̯t]) 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 68345, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tape is recorded at frequency rank #19,052, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈtɛɪ̯pə]. taut is at rank #49,293, tagged as averb, pronounced [taʊ̯t].
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 68345, this pair ranks #510,758 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of tape vs taut
Shared letters: at. Private to "tape": ep. Private to "taut": u.
"tape" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "taut" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "tape" for "taut" ever safe?
Frequency check: "tape" vs "taut" - which ranks higher?
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 "tape" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "taut" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #510,758 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tape" and "taut" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Taft vs taut". 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 #510,758 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.