FilternvsFingernWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,889
“Filtern” frequency rank
#6,792
“Fingern” frequency rank
24681
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Filtern Fingern
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Filter Dativ Plural des Substantivs Finger

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Filtern
7 ch
Fingern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Filtern ([ˈfɪltɐn]) and Fingern ([ˈfɪŋɐn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24681, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Filtern is recorded at frequency rank #17,889, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɪltɐn]. Fingern is at rank #6,792, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɪŋɐn].

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 24681, this pair ranks #1,844,231 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Filtern vs Fingern

Shared letters: efinr. Private to "Filtern": lt. Private to "Fingern": g.

"Filtern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "Fingern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Filternffiltern · filetrn · filltern · filtenr · filternn · filterrn · filtren · filttern
  • Fingernffingern · fignern · finegrn · fingenr · fingernn · fingerrn · finggern · fingren

Frequency comparison

Filtern#17,889
Fingern#6,792

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Filtern" and "Fingern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɪltɐn] versus [ˈfɪŋɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Filtern" or "Fingern"?
"Fingern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,792 in our German list, against #17,889 for "Filtern". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Filtern vs Fingern

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 “Filtern” 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