BetriebssystemvsBetriebssystemeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,053
“Betriebssystem” frequency rank
#29,962
“Betriebssysteme” frequency rank
40015
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Betriebssystem Betriebssysteme
Definition grundlegende Software eines Computers, die die Verwaltung der Ressourcen übernimmt Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Betriebssystem

Where the eye mixes Betriebssystem and Betriebssysteme

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 14 letters in sequence. Betriebssystem runs 14 letters (CVCCVVCCCVCCVC) against Betriebssysteme's 15 (CVCCVVCCCVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

14 ch
Betriebssystem
15 ch
Betriebssysteme

Why the eye confuses Betriebssystem with Betriebssysteme

A purely visual mix-up. Betriebssystem ([bəˈtʁiːpszʏsˌteːm]) and Betriebssysteme ([bəˈtʁiːpszʏsˌteːmə]) 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) - “Betriebssystem” sits inside “Betriebssysteme”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40015, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Betriebssystem is recorded at frequency rank #10,053, classified as anoun, pronounced [bəˈtʁiːpszʏsˌteːm]. Betriebssysteme is at rank #29,962, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈtʁiːpszʏsˌteːmə].

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 40015, this pair ranks #1,520,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Betriebssystem vs Betriebssysteme

Shared letters: beimrsty. Private to "Betriebssystem": -. Private to "Betriebssysteme": -.

"Betriebssystem" · 14 letters · shape CVCCVVCCCVCCVC  ·  "Betriebssysteme" · 15 letters · shape CVCCVVCCCVCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Betriebssystem ← bbetriebssystem · bertiebssystem · betirebssystem · betreibssystem · betribessystem · betriebbssystem · betriebsssytem · betriebssysetm
  • Betriebssysteme ← bbetriebssysteme · bertiebssysteme · betirebssysteme · betreibssysteme · betribessysteme · betriebbssysteme · betriebsssyteme · betriebssysetme

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Betriebssystem" and "Betriebssysteme" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈtʁiːpszʏsˌteːm] versus [bəˈtʁiːpszʏsˌteːmə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Betriebssystem" or "Betriebssysteme"?
"Betriebssystem" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,053 in our German list, against #29,962 for "Betriebssysteme". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "Betriebssystem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Betriebssysteme" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,520,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Betriebssystem" and "Betriebssysteme" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Betriebssysteme vs Betriebssystemen". 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 #1,520,409 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