Which to use
“Detektiv” and “Detektive” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,186
- “Detektiv” frequency rank
- #32,478
- “Detektive” frequency rank
- 51664
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Detektiv | Detektive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (meist privater) Ermittler, der nach Beweismitteln für etwas sucht | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Detektiv |
Where the eye mixes Detektiv and Detektive
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. Detektiv runs 8 letters (CVCVCCVC) against Detektive's 9 (CVCVCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Detektiv and Detektive
A purely visual mix-up. Detektiv ([detɛkˈtiːf]) and Detektive ([detɛkˈtiːvə]) 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) - “Detektiv” sits inside “Detektive”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51664, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Detektiv is recorded at frequency rank #19,186, classified as anoun, pronounced [detɛkˈtiːf]. Detektive is at rank #32,478, tagged as anoun, pronounced [detɛkˈtiːvə].
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 51664, this pair ranks #1,126,855 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Detektiv vs Detektive
Shared letters: deiktv. Private to "Detektiv": -. Private to "Detektive": -.
"Detektiv" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "Detektive" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Detektiv" and "Detektive" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Detektiv" vs "Detektive" - which ranks higher?
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 "Detektiv" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Detektive" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,126,855 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Detektiv" and "Detektive" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Detektive vs Direktive". 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 #1,126,855 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.