AktenvsÄmternWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,586
“Akten” frequency rank
#13,533
“Ämtern” frequency rank
18119
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Akten Ämtern
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Akte Dativ Plural des Substantivs Amt

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Akten
6 ch
Ämtern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Akten ([ˈaktn̩]) and Ämtern ([ˈɛmtɐn]) 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 18119, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Akten is recorded at frequency rank #4,586, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈaktn̩]. Ämtern is at rank #13,533, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛmtɐn].

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 18119, this pair ranks #1,921,217 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Akten vs Ämtern

Shared letters: ent. Private to "Akten": ak. Private to "Ämtern": mrä.

"Akten" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC  ·  "Ämtern" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Aktenaketn · akkten · aktenn · aktne · aktten · atken · katen

Frequency comparison

Akten#4,586
Ämtern#13,533

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Akten" and "Ämtern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈaktn̩] versus [ˈɛmtɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Akten" or "Ämtern"?
"Akten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,586 in our German list, against #13,533 for "Ämtern". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Akten vs Ämtern

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 “Akten” 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