Which to use
“Defekte” and “Detektei” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,554
- “Defekte” frequency rank
- #46,567
- “Detektei” frequency rank
- 64121
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Defekte | Detektei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Defekt | von einem oder mehreren Detektiven unterhaltener Betrieb |
Where the eye mixes Defekte and Detektei
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Defekte runs 7 letters (CVCVCCV) against Detektei's 8 (CVCVCCVV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Defekte and Detektei
A purely visual mix-up. Defekte ([deˈfɛktə]) and Detektei ([detɛkˈtaɪ̯]) 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 64121, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Defekte is recorded at frequency rank #17,554, classified as anoun, pronounced [deˈfɛktə]. Detektei is at rank #46,567, tagged as anoun, pronounced [detɛkˈtaɪ̯].
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 64121, this pair ranks #652,692 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Defekte vs Detektei
Shared letters: dekt. Private to "Defekte": f. Private to "Detektei": i.
"Defekte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV · "Detektei" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Defekte" and "Detektei" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Defekte" vs "Detektei" - which ranks higher?
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 "Defekte" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Detektei" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #652,692 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Defekte" and "Detektei" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "defektes vs Detektei". 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 #652,692 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.