ÄmtervsÄmternWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,489
“Ämter” frequency rank
#13,533
“Ämtern” frequency rank
23022
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Ämter Ämtern
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Amt Dativ Plural des Substantivs Amt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Ämter and Ämtern apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Ämter
6 ch
Ämtern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Ämter ([ˈɛmtɐ]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Ämter” sits inside “Ämtern”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23022, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Ämter is recorded at frequency rank #9,489, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛmtɐ]. 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 23022, this pair ranks #1,866,753 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Ämter vs Ämtern

Shared letters: emrtä. Private to "Ämter": -. Private to "Ämtern": n.

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

Frequency comparison

Ämter#9,489
Ämtern#13,533

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Ämter" and "Ämtern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛmtɐ] versus [ˈɛmtɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Ämter" or "Ämtern"?
"Ämter" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,489 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 Ämter 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 “Ämter” 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