deutenvsduftenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,190
“deuten” frequency rank
#45,865
“duften” frequency rank
54055
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature deuten duften
Definition auf ein Objekt weisen; hinweisen, zeigen angenehmen Geruch abgeben, verströmen, verbreiten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set deuten and duften apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
deuten
6 ch
duften

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. deuten ([ˈdɔɪ̯tn̩]) and duften ([ˈdʊftn̩]) 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 54055, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

deuten is recorded at frequency rank #8,190, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈdɔɪ̯tn̩]. duften is at rank #45,865, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈdʊftn̩].

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 54055, this pair ranks #1,033,916 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of deuten vs duften

Shared letters: dentu. Private to "deuten": -. Private to "duften": f.

"deuten" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC  ·  "duften" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • deutenddeuten · detuen · deuetn · deutenn · deutne · deutten · dueten · eduten
  • duftendduften · dfuten · dufetn · dufften · duftenn · duftne · duftten · dutfen

Frequency comparison

deuten#8,190
duften#45,865

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "deuten" and "duften" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdɔɪ̯tn̩] versus [ˈdʊftn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "deuten" or "duften"?
"deuten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,190 in our German list, against #45,865 for "duften". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering deuten vs duften

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 “deuten” 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