Which to use
“true” is an adjective and “trunk” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,645
- “true” frequency rank
- #39,074
- “trunk” frequency rank
- 48719
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | true | trunk |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | wahr, richtig | aufrechtstehender Teil eines Baums zwischen den Wurzeln und den Ästen |
Where the eye mixes true and trunk
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between true and trunk
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: true is [tɹuː] while trunk is [tɹʌŋk]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48719, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
true is recorded at frequency rank #9,645, classified as anadj, pronounced [tɹuː]. trunk is at rank #39,074, tagged as anoun, pronounced [tɹʌŋk].
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 48719, this pair ranks #1,238,198 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of true vs trunk
Shared letters: rtu. Private to "true": e. Private to "trunk": kn.
"true" · 4 letters · shape CCVV · "trunk" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "true" and "trunk" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "true" or "trunk"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "true" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "trunk" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,238,198 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "true" and "trunk" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tränke vs trunk". 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 #1,238,198 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.