DefektvsDefekteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,849
“Defekt” frequency rank
#17,554
“Defekte” frequency rank
26403
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Defekt Defekte
Definition fehlerhafte Stelle, Funktionsfehler Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Defekt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Defekt and Defekte apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Defekt
7 ch
Defekte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Defekt ([deˈfɛkt]) and Defekte ([deˈfɛktə]) 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) - “Defekt” sits inside “Defekte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26403, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Defekt is recorded at frequency rank #8,849, classified as anoun, pronounced [deˈfɛkt]. Defekte is at rank #17,554, tagged as anoun, pronounced [deˈfɛktə].

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 26403, this pair ranks #1,818,668 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Defekt vs Defekte

Shared letters: defkt. Private to "Defekt": -. Private to "Defekte": -.

"Defekt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "Defekte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Defektddefekt · deefkt · defekkt · defektt · defetk · deffekt · defket · dfeekt
  • Defekteddefekte · deefkte · defeket · defekkte · defektte · defetke · deffekte · defkete

Frequency comparison

Defekt#8,849
Defekte#17,554

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Defekt" and "Defekte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([deˈfɛkt] versus [deˈfɛktə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Defekt" or "Defekte"?
"Defekt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,849 in our German list, against #17,554 for "Defekte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Defekt vs Defekte

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 “Defekt” 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