Which to use
“Apfel” and “Äpfeln” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,628
- “Apfel” frequency rank
- #29,444
- “Äpfeln” frequency rank
- 36072
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Apfel | Äpfeln |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | rundliche Frucht des Apfelbaums mit Schale, Fruchtfleisch und Kerngehäuse | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Apfel |
Where the eye mixes Apfel and Äpfeln
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Apfel runs 5 letters (VCCVC) against Äpfeln's 6 (VCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Apfel with Äpfeln
A purely visual mix-up. Apfel ([ˈap͡fl̩]) and Äpfeln ([ˈɛp͡fəln]) 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 36072, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Apfel is recorded at frequency rank #6,628, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈap͡fl̩]. Äpfeln is at rank #29,444, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛp͡fəln].
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 36072, this pair ranks #1,624,632 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Apfel vs Äpfeln
Shared letters: eflp. Private to "Apfel": a. Private to "Äpfeln": nä.
"Apfel" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "Äpfeln" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Apfel ← afpel · apefl · apfell · apffel · apfle · appfel · pafel
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Apfel" for "Äpfeln" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Apfel" or "Äpfeln" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Apfel" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Äpfeln" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,624,632 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Apfel" and "Äpfeln" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "apel vs Äpfeln". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,624,632 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.