Which to use
“Dämpfe” and “Dampfer” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,898
- “Dämpfe” frequency rank
- #22,297
- “Dampfer” frequency rank
- 62195
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Dämpfe | Dampfer |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Dampf | Motorschiff, das von einer Dampfmaschine angetrieben wird |
Where the eye mixes Dämpfe and Dampfer
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: Dämpfe vs Dampfer
A purely visual mix-up. Dämpfe ([ˈdɛmp͡fə]) and Dampfer ([ˈdamp͡fɐ]) 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 62195, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Dämpfe is recorded at frequency rank #39,898, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈdɛmp͡fə]. Dampfer is at rank #22,297, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈdamp͡fɐ].
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 62195, this pair ranks #721,770 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Dämpfe vs Dampfer
Shared letters: defmp. Private to "Dämpfe": ä. Private to "Dampfer": ar.
"Dämpfe" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "Dampfer" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Dampfer ← admpfer · damfper · dammpfer · dampefr · dampferr · dampffer · dampfre · damppfer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Dämpfe" for "Dampfer" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Dämpfe" or "Dampfer"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Dämpfe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Dampfer" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #721,770 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Dämpfe" and "Dampfer" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Dämpfe vs dumpf". 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 #721,770 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.