Which to use
“fehlten” and “feilen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,647
- “fehlten” frequency rank
- #33,041
- “feilen” frequency rank
- 44688
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fehlten | feilen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs fehlen | mit einer Feile bearbeiten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fehlten and feilen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. fehlten ([ˈfeːltn̩]) and feilen ([ˈfaɪ̯lən]) 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 44688, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fehlten is recorded at frequency rank #11,647, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfeːltn̩]. feilen is at rank #33,041, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfaɪ̯lən].
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 44688, this pair ranks #1,378,024 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fehlten vs feilen
Shared letters: efln. Private to "fehlten": ht. Private to "feilen": i.
"fehlten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "feilen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fehlten" and "feilen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fehlten" or "feilen"?
Remembering fehlten vs feilen
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 “fehlten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable