UnixvsUnzeTell them apart

Which to use

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

#34,424
“Unix” frequency rank
#47,803
“Unze” frequency rank
82227
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Unix Unze
Definition Betriebssystem, das ab 1969 bei den Bell Laboratories (heute AT&T) entwickelt wurde oder auf dieses Betriebssystem direkt zurückgeht Gewichtseinheit von etwa 30 Gramm

Where the eye mixes Unix and Unze

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Unix (VCVC) and Unze (VCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

4 ch
Unix
4 ch
Unze

Visual trap between Unix and Unze

A purely visual mix-up. Unix ([ˈjuːnɪks]) and Unze ([ˈʊnt͡sə]) 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 82227, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Unix is recorded at frequency rank #34,424, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈjuːnɪks]. Unze is at rank #47,803, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʊnt͡sə].

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 82227, this pair ranks #161,040 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Unix vs Unze

Shared letters: nu. Private to "Unix": ix. Private to "Unze": ez.

"Unix" · 4 letters · shape VCVC  ·  "Unze" · 4 letters · shape VCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Unix ← nuix · uinx · unixx · unnix · unxi
  • Unze ← nuze · unez · unnze · unzze · uzne

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Unix" for "Unze" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈjuːnɪks] versus [ˈʊnt͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Unix" or "Unze"?
"Unix" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #34,424 in our German list, against #47,803 for "Unze". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "Unix" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Unze" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #161,040 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Unix" and "Unze" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Unze vs Unzen". 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 #161,040 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list