absolutevsabsolutesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,227
“absolute” frequency rank
#10,795
“absolutes” frequency rank
14022
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature absolute absolutes
Definition Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs absolut Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs absolut

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set absolute and absolutes apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
absolute
9 ch
absolutes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. absolute ([apz̥oˈluːtə]) and absolutes ([apz̥oˈluːtəs]) 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 extra letter(s) - “absolute” sits inside “absolutes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14022, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

absolute is recorded at frequency rank #3,227, classified as anadj, pronounced [apz̥oˈluːtə]. absolutes is at rank #10,795, tagged as anadj, pronounced [apz̥oˈluːtəs].

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 14022, this pair ranks #1,954,117 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of absolute vs absolutes

Shared letters: abelostu. Private to "absolute": -. Private to "absolutes": -.

"absolute" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCV  ·  "absolutes" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • absoluteabbsolute · aboslute · absloute · absollute · absoltue · absoluet · absolutte · absoulte
  • absolutesabbsolutes · aboslutes · absloutes · absollutes · absoltues · absoluets · absolutess · absolutse

Frequency comparison

absolute#3,227
absolutes#10,795

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "absolute" and "absolutes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([apz̥oˈluːtə] versus [apz̥oˈluːtəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "absolute" or "absolutes"?
"absolute" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,227 in our German list, against #10,795 for "absolutes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering absolute vs absolutes

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 “absolute” 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