DiebstahlvsDiebstahlsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,172
“Diebstahl” frequency rank
#29,076
“Diebstahls” frequency rank
35248
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Diebstahl Diebstahls
Definition heimliche Entwendung fremden Eigentums Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Diebstahl

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Diebstahl and Diebstahls apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Diebstahl
10 ch
Diebstahls

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Diebstahl ([ˈdiːpˌʃtaːl]) and Diebstahls ([ˈdiːpʃtaːls]) 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) - “Diebstahl” sits inside “Diebstahls”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35248, 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]. Diebstahls is at rank #29,076, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈdiːpʃtaːls].

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 35248, this pair ranks #1,644,444 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Diebstahl vs Diebstahls

Shared letters: abdehilst. Private to "Diebstahl": -. Private to "Diebstahls": -.

"Diebstahl" · 9 letters · shape CVVCCCVCC  ·  "Diebstahls" · 10 letters · shape CVVCCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Diebstahlddiebstahl · deibstahl · dibestahl · diebbstahl · diebsathl · diebsstahl · diebstahhl · diebstahll
  • Diebstahlsddiebstahls · deibstahls · dibestahls · diebbstahls · diebsathls · diebsstahls · diebstahhls · diebstahlls

Frequency comparison

Diebstahl#6,172
Diebstahls#29,076

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Diebstahl" and "Diebstahls" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdiːpˌʃtaːl] versus [ˈdiːpʃtaːls]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Diebstahl" or "Diebstahls"?
"Diebstahl" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,172 in our German list, against #29,076 for "Diebstahls". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Diebstahl vs Diebstahls

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