Which to use
“Defekten” and “Detektei” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,674
- “Defekten” frequency rank
- #46,567
- “Detektei” frequency rank
- 71241
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Defekten | Detektei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Defekt | von einem oder mehreren Detektiven unterhaltener Betrieb |
Where the eye mixes Defekten and Detektei
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Defekten (CVCVCCVC) and Detektei (CVCVCCVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between Defekten and Detektei
A purely visual mix-up. Defekten ([deˈfɛktn̩]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 71241, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Defekten is recorded at frequency rank #24,674, classified as anoun, pronounced [deˈfɛktn̩]. 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 71241, this pair ranks #422,477 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Defekten vs Detektei
Shared letters: dekt. Private to "Defekten": fn. Private to "Detektei": i.
"Defekten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "Detektei" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Defekten" and "Detektei" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Defekten" or "Detektei" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Defekten" 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 #422,477 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Defekten" 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 #422,477 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.