Which to use
“fünfmal” is a num and “fünftel” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,362
- “fünfmal” frequency rank
- #18,551
- “fünftel” frequency rank
- 33913
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fünfmal | fünftel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf Male; einmal und vier weitere Male | aus einem von fünf gleich großen Teilen bestehend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fünfmal and fünftel apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fünfmal is [ˈfʏnfmaːl] while fünftel is [ˈfʏnftl̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33913, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fünfmal is recorded at frequency rank #15,362, classified as anum, pronounced [ˈfʏnfmaːl]. fünftel is at rank #18,551, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfʏnftl̩].
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 33913, this pair ranks #1,675,236 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fünfmal vs fünftel
Shared letters: flnü. Private to "fünfmal": am. Private to "fünftel": et.
"fünfmal" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "fünftel" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fünfmal" and "fünftel" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fünfmal" or "fünftel"?
Remembering fünfmal vs fünftel
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “fünfmal”; for an adjective, it's “fünftel”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fünfmal” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable