Which to use
“ui” and “ups” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,713
- “ui” frequency rank
- #6,983
- “ups” frequency rank
- 20696
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ui | ups |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ausdruck des Bestaunens | Ausdruck der Überraschung |
Where the eye mixes ui and ups
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between ui and ups
A purely visual mix-up. ui ([ʊɪ̯]) and ups ([ʊps]) 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 20696, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ui is recorded at frequency rank #13,713, classified as anintj, pronounced [ʊɪ̯]. ups is at rank #6,983, tagged as anintj, pronounced [ʊps].
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 20696, this pair ranks #1,894,789 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ui vs ups
Shared letters: u. Private to "ui": i. Private to "ups": ps.
"ui" · 2 letters · shape VV · "ups" · 3 letters · shape VCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ui" for "ups" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "ui" or "ups" show up more?
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 "ui" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ups" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,894,789 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ui" and "ups" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "uch vs ui". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,894,789 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.