DiebstählevsDiebstahlsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#32,480
“Diebstähle” frequency rank
#29,076
“Diebstahls” frequency rank
61556
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Diebstähle Diebstahls
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Diebstahl Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Diebstahl

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
Diebstähle
10 ch
Diebstahls

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Diebstähle ([ˈdiːpˌʃtɛːlə]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61556, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Diebstähle is recorded at frequency rank #32,480, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈdiːpˌʃtɛːlə]. 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 61556, this pair ranks #745,365 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Diebstähle vs Diebstahls

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

"Diebstähle" · 10 letters · shape CVVCCCVCCV  ·  "Diebstahls" · 10 letters · shape CVVCCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Diebstahlsddiebstahls · deibstahls · dibestahls · diebbstahls · diebsathls · diebsstahls · diebstahhls · diebstahlls

Frequency comparison

Diebstähle#32,480
Diebstahls#29,076

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Diebstähle" and "Diebstahls" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdiːpˌʃtɛːlə] versus [ˈdiːpʃtaːls]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Diebstähle" or "Diebstahls"?
"Diebstahls" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,076 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 Diebstähle 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 “Diebstähle” 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