FedernvsFehlernWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,860
“Federn” frequency rank
#8,558
“Fehlern” frequency rank
17418
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Federn Fehlern
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Feder Dativ Plural des Substantivs Fehler

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Federn
7 ch
Fehlern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Federn ([ˈfeːdɐn]) and Fehlern ([ˈfeːlɐn]) 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 17418, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Federn is recorded at frequency rank #8,860, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfeːdɐn]. Fehlern is at rank #8,558, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfeːlɐn].

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 17418, this pair ranks #1,927,569 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Federn vs Fehlern

Shared letters: efnr. Private to "Federn": d. Private to "Fehlern": hl.

"Federn" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "Fehlern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Federnefdern · fdeern · feddern · fedenr · federnn · federrn · fedren · feedrn
  • Fehlernefhlern · fehelrn · fehhlern · fehlenr · fehlernn · fehlerrn · fehllern · fehlren

Frequency comparison

Federn#8,860
Fehlern#8,558

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Federn" and "Fehlern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfeːdɐn] versus [ˈfeːlɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Federn" or "Fehlern"?
"Fehlern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,558 in our German list, against #8,860 for "Federn". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Federn vs Fehlern

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 “Federn” 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