Which to use
“feinster” and “finstere” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,638
- “feinster” frequency rank
- #31,545
- “finstere” frequency rank
- 78183
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feinster | finstere |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs fein | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs finster |
Where the eye mixes feinster and finstere
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. feinster (CVVCCCVC) and finstere (CVCCCVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses feinster with finstere
A purely visual mix-up. feinster ([ˈfaɪ̯nstɐ]) and finstere ([ˈfɪnstəʁə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they are an anagram pair: the same letters reordered. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78183, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feinster is recorded at frequency rank #46,638, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfaɪ̯nstɐ]. finstere is at rank #31,545, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfɪnstəʁə].
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 78183, this pair ranks #244,019 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of feinster vs finstere
Shared letters: efinrst. Private to "feinster": -. Private to "finstere": -.
"feinster" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCCVC · "finstere" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "feinster" and "finstere" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "feinster" or "finstere" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "feinster" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "finstere" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #244,019 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "feinster" and "finstere" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "feinster vs Fensters". 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
Confusion rank #244,019 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.