waltzvsWalzWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,544
“waltz” frequency rank
#33,902
“Walz” frequency rank
69446
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature waltz Walz
Definition langsamer Gesellschaftstanz im Dreivierteltakt; English Waltz, langsamer Walzer Wanderschaft, auf die sich Handwerksgesellen nach der Ausbildung traditionell begeben

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set waltz and Walz apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
waltz
4 ch
Walz

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

This is the hard kind. waltz and Walz are pronounced identically ([valt͡s]) and both work as anoun. Neither the ear nor the grammar will rescue you; only the meaning does, so the glosses below are the whole decision. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69446, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

waltz is recorded at frequency rank #35,544, classified as anoun, pronounced [valt͡s]. Walz is at rank #33,902, tagged as anoun, pronounced [valt͡s].

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 69446, this pair ranks #476,392 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of waltz vs Walz

Shared letters: alwz. Private to "waltz": t. Private to "Walz": -.

"waltz" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "Walz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • waltzawltz · walltz · walttz · waltzz · walzt · watlz · wlatz · wwaltz
  • Walzawlz · wallz · walzz · wazl · wlaz · wwalz

Frequency comparison

waltz#35,544
Walz#33,902

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "waltz" and "Walz" be used interchangeably?
No. They are pronounced the same ([valt͡s]), which is exactly why they get swapped in writing, but the dictionary meanings above are different, and pronunciation is no guide here.
Which is more common, "waltz" or "Walz"?
"Walz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #33,902 in our German list, against #35,544 for "waltz". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering waltz vs Walz

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 “waltz” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list