Which to use
“Eltern” is a noun and “externe” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #465
- “Eltern” frequency rank
- #8,556
- “externe” frequency rank
- 9021
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Eltern | externe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Vater und Mutter eines Kindes | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs extern |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Eltern and externe apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Eltern is [ˈɛltɐn] while externe is [ˌɛksˈtɛʁnə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9021, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Eltern is recorded at frequency rank #465, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛltɐn]. externe is at rank #8,556, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˌɛksˈtɛʁnə].
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 9021, this pair ranks #1,981,781 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Eltern vs externe
Shared letters: enrt. Private to "Eltern": l. Private to "externe": x.
"Eltern" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "externe" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Eltern" and "externe" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Eltern" or "externe"?
Remembering Eltern vs externe
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Eltern”; for an adjective, it's “externe”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Eltern” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable