DiebstahlvsDiebstähleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,172
“Diebstahl” frequency rank
#32,480
“Diebstähle” frequency rank
38652
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Diebstahl Diebstähle
Definition heimliche Entwendung fremden Eigentums Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Diebstahl

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Diebstahl and Diebstähle apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Diebstahl
10 ch
Diebstähle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Diebstahl ([ˈdiːpˌʃtaːl]) and Diebstähle ([ˈdiːpˌʃtɛːlə]) 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 38652, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Diebstahl is recorded at frequency rank #6,172, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈdiːpˌʃtaːl]. Diebstähle is at rank #32,480, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈdiːpˌʃtɛːlə].

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 38652, this pair ranks #1,558,250 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Diebstahl vs Diebstähle

Shared letters: bdehilst. Private to "Diebstahl": a. Private to "Diebstähle": ä.

"Diebstahl" · 9 letters · shape CVVCCCVCC  ·  "Diebstähle" · 10 letters · shape CVVCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Diebstahlddiebstahl · deibstahl · dibestahl · diebbstahl · diebsathl · diebsstahl · diebstahhl · diebstahll

Frequency comparison

Diebstahl#6,172
Diebstähle#32,480

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Diebstahl" and "Diebstähle" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdiːpˌʃtaːl] versus [ˈdiːpˌʃtɛːlə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Diebstahl" or "Diebstähle"?
"Diebstahl" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,172 in our German list, against #32,480 for "Diebstähle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Diebstahl vs Diebstähle

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 “Diebstahl” 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