ZeilevsZölleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,551
“Zeile” frequency rank
#23,388
“Zölle” frequency rank
30939
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Zeile Zölle
Definition horizontale Aneinanderreihung gleichartiger Objekte, etwa die in links-Rechts-Richtung liegenden Einteilungen von Text oder Daten Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Zoll

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Zeile and Zölle apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Zeile
5 ch
Zölle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Zeile ([ˈt͡saɪ̯lə]) and Zölle ([ˈt͡sœlə]) 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 30939, 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]. Zölle is at rank #23,388, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡sœlə].

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 30939, this pair ranks #1,737,999 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Zeile vs Zölle

Shared letters: elz. Private to "Zeile": i. Private to "Zölle": ö.

"Zeile" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV  ·  "Zölle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Zeileezile · zeiel · zeille · zelie · zzeile

Frequency comparison

Zeile#7,551
Zölle#23,388

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Zeile" and "Zölle" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt͡saɪ̯lə] versus [ˈt͡sœlə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Zeile" or "Zölle"?
"Zeile" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,551 in our German list, against #23,388 for "Zölle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Zeile vs Zölle

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 “Zeile” 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