FehlernvsFohlenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,558
“Fehlern” frequency rank
#22,725
“Fohlen” frequency rank
31283
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Fehlern Fohlen
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Fehler Jungtier eines Pferdes

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Fehlern
6 ch
Fohlen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Fehlern ([ˈfeːlɐn]) and Fohlen ([ˈfoːlən]) 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 31283, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Fehlern is recorded at frequency rank #8,558, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfeːlɐn]. Fohlen is at rank #22,725, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːlən].

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 31283, this pair ranks #1,731,253 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Fehlern vs Fohlen

Shared letters: efhln. Private to "Fehlern": r. Private to "Fohlen": o.

"Fehlern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "Fohlen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Fehlernefhlern · fehelrn · fehhlern · fehlenr · fehlernn · fehlerrn · fehllern · fehlren
  • Fohlenffohlen · fholen · foheln · fohhlen · fohlenn · fohllen · fohlne · folhen

Frequency comparison

Fehlern#8,558
Fohlen#22,725

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Fehlern" and "Fohlen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfeːlɐn] versus [ˈfoːlən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Fehlern" or "Fohlen"?
"Fehlern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,558 in our German list, against #22,725 for "Fohlen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Fehlern vs Fohlen

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 “Fehlern” 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