EinzelfallvsEinzelfälleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,354
“Einzelfall” frequency rank
#21,951
“Einzelfälle” frequency rank
27305
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Einzelfall Einzelfälle
Definition einmaliges Ereignis, einmalige Erscheinung Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Einzelfall

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
Einzelfall
11 ch
Einzelfälle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Einzelfall ([ˈaɪ̯nt͡sl̩ˌfal]) and Einzelfälle ([ˈaɪ̯nt͡sl̩ˌfɛlə]) 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 27305, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Einzelfall is recorded at frequency rank #5,354, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nt͡sl̩ˌfal]. Einzelfälle is at rank #21,951, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nt͡sl̩ˌfɛlə].

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 27305, this pair ranks #1,803,938 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Einzelfall vs Einzelfälle

Shared letters: efilnz. Private to "Einzelfall": a. Private to "Einzelfälle": ä.

"Einzelfall" · 10 letters · shape VVCCVCCVCC  ·  "Einzelfälle" · 11 letters · shape VVCCVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Einzelfalleinezlfall · einnzelfall · einzeflall · einzelafll · einzelfal · einzelffall · einzelflal · einzellfall

Frequency comparison

Einzelfall#5,354
Einzelfälle#21,951

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Einzelfall" and "Einzelfälle" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈaɪ̯nt͡sl̩ˌfal] versus [ˈaɪ̯nt͡sl̩ˌfɛlə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Einzelfall" or "Einzelfälle"?
"Einzelfall" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,354 in our German list, against #21,951 for "Einzelfälle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Einzelfall vs Einzelfälle

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 “Einzelfall” 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