Which to use
“altes” and “älteste” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,501
- “altes” frequency rank
- #5,334
- “älteste” frequency rank
- 8835
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | altes | älteste |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt | Nominativ Singular Femininum Superlativ der starken Flexion des Adjektivs alt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set altes and älteste apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. altes ([ˈaltəs]) and älteste ([ˈɛltəstə]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8835, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
altes is recorded at frequency rank #3,501, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈaltəs]. älteste is at rank #5,334, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɛltəstə].
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 8835, this pair ranks #1,982,618 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of altes vs älteste
Shared letters: elst. Private to "altes": a. Private to "älteste": ä.
"altes" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "älteste" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- altes ← alets · alltes · altess · altse · alttes · atles · lates
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "altes" and "älteste" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "altes" or "älteste"?
Remembering altes vs älteste
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 “altes” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable