elftevselleWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: elfte is a num, elle is a pronoun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“elfte” is a num and “elle” is a pronoun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#31,024
“elfte” frequency rank
#19,887
“elle” frequency rank
50911
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature elfte elle
Definition nach dem beziehungsweise der zehnten kommend; dem zwölften vorausgehend sie

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set elfte and elle apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
elfte
4 ch
elle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

elfte and elle form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50911, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

elfte is recorded at frequency rank #31,024, classified as anum, pronounced [ˈɛlftə]. elle is at rank #19,887, tagged as apron, pronounced [ɛl].

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 50911, this pair ranks #1,155,657 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

elfte#31,024
elle#19,887

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "elfte" and "elle" be used interchangeably?
No, "elfte" and "elle" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering elfte vs elle

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “elfte”; for a pronoun, it's “elle”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “elfte” 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