Which to use
“Zeile” and “Zellen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,551
- “Zeile” frequency rank
- #4,850
- “Zellen” frequency rank
- 12401
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Zeile | Zellen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | horizontale Aneinanderreihung gleichartiger Objekte, etwa die in links-Rechts-Richtung liegenden Einteilungen von Text oder Daten | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Zelle |
Where the eye mixes Zeile and Zellen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Zeile runs 5 letters (CVVCV) against Zellen's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Zeile vs Zellen
A purely visual mix-up. Zeile ([ˈt͡saɪ̯lə]) and Zellen ([ˈt͡sɛlən]) 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 12401, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Zeile is recorded at frequency rank #7,551, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯lə]. Zellen is at rank #4,850, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛlən].
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 12401, this pair ranks #1,964,403 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Zeile vs Zellen
Shared letters: elz. Private to "Zeile": i. Private to "Zellen": n.
"Zeile" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "Zellen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Zeile" and "Zellen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Zeile" or "Zellen"?
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 "Zeile" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Zellen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,964,403 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Zeile" and "Zellen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zechen vs Zellen". 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 #1,964,403 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.