fechtenvsFettenWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: fechten is a verb, Fetten is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“fechten” is a verb and “Fetten” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#29,573
“fechten” frequency rank
#8,709
“Fetten” frequency rank
38282
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fechten Fetten
Definition mit Klingen (Schwertern, Degen, Säbeln und so weiter) kämpfen Dativ Plural des Substantivs Fett

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fechten and Fetten apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
fechten
6 ch
Fetten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fechten is [ˈfɛçtn̩] while Fetten is [ˈfɛtn̩]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38282, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fechten is recorded at frequency rank #29,573, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɛçtn̩]. Fetten is at rank #8,709, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɛtn̩].

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 38282, this pair ranks #1,567,958 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of fechten vs Fetten

Shared letters: efnt. Private to "fechten": ch. Private to "Fetten": -.

"fechten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "Fetten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • fechtenefchten · fcehten · fecchten · fechetn · fechhten · fechtenn · fechtne · fechtten
  • Fetteneftten · feten · fetetn · fettenn · fettne · ffetten · fteten

Frequency comparison

fechten#29,573
Fetten#8,709

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fechten" and "Fetten" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "fechten" is a verb and "Fetten" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "fechten" or "Fetten"?
"Fetten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,709 in our German list, against #29,573 for "fechten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fechten vs Fetten

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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