attraktivvsattraktiveWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#5,454
“attraktiv” frequency rank
#10,808
“attraktive” frequency rank
16262
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature attraktiv attraktive
Definition ansprechend in Aussehen und Verhalten Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs attraktiv

Where the eye mixes attraktiv and attraktive

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. attraktiv runs 9 letters (VCCCVCCVC) against attraktive's 10 (VCCCVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

9 ch
attraktiv
10 ch
attraktive

Why the eye confuses attraktiv with attraktive

A purely visual mix-up. attraktiv ([atʁakˈtiːf]) and attraktive ([atʁakˈtiːvə]) 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) - “attraktiv” sits inside “attraktive”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16262, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

attraktiv is recorded at frequency rank #5,454, classified as anadj, pronounced [atʁakˈtiːf]. attraktive is at rank #10,808, tagged as anadj, pronounced [atʁakˈtiːvə].

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 16262, this pair ranks #1,937,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of attraktiv vs attraktive

Shared letters: aikrtv. Private to "attraktiv": -. Private to "attraktive": e.

"attraktiv" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "attraktive" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • attraktiv ← atraktiv · atrtaktiv · attarktiv · attrakitv · attrakktiv · attraktivv · attrakttiv · attraktvi
  • attraktive ← atraktive · atrtaktive · attarktive · attrakitve · attrakktive · attraktiev · attraktivve · attrakttive

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "attraktiv" for "attraktive" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([atʁakˈtiːf] versus [atʁakˈtiːvə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "attraktiv" vs "attraktive" - which ranks higher?
"attraktiv" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,454 in our German list, against #10,808 for "attraktive". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "attraktiv" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "attraktive" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,937,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "attraktiv" and "attraktive" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "attraktive vs attraktives". 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 #1,937,283 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list