Which to use
“fehlen” is a verb and “Fehler” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,415
- “fehlen” frequency rank
- #746
- “Fehler” frequency rank
- 2161
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fehlen | Fehler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht vorhanden sein | Abweichung von einem optimalen Zustand, Verfahren oder dem Richtigen |
Where the eye mixes fehlen and Fehler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fehlen is [ˈfeːlən] while Fehler is [ˈfeːlɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - n in “fehlen” becomes r in “Fehler”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2161, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fehlen is recorded at frequency rank #1,415, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfeːlən]. Fehler is at rank #746, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfeːlɐ].
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 2161, this pair ranks #2,002,962 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fehlen vs Fehler
Shared letters: efhl. Private to "fehlen": n. Private to "Fehler": r.
"fehlen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Fehler" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fehlen" and "Fehler" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fehlen" or "Fehler"?
What to do next
You've compared "fehlen" and "Fehler". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "fehlen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Fehler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,002,962 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fehlen" and "Fehler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Fehler vs fender". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.