Which to use
“fünfte” is a num and “fünften” is an unknown - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,062
- “fünfte” frequency rank
- #4,432
- “fünften” frequency rank
- 10494
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fünfte | fünften |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nach dem beziehungsweise der vierten kommend; dem, der beziehungsweise des sechsten vorausgehend | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum des Numerals fünfte |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fünfte and fünften apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: fünfte is [ˈfʏnftə] while fünften is [ˈfʏnftn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “fünfte” sits inside “fünften”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs unknown), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10494, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fünfte is recorded at frequency rank #6,062, classified as anum, pronounced [ˈfʏnftə]. fünften is at rank #4,432, tagged as anunknown, pronounced [ˈfʏnftn̩].
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 10494, this pair ranks #1,974,860 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fünfte vs fünften
Shared letters: efntü. Private to "fünfte": -. Private to "fünften": -.
"fünfte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "fünften" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fünfte" and "fünften" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fünfte" or "fünften"?
Remembering fünfte vs fünften
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a num, it's “fünfte”; for an unknown, it's “fünften”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fünfte” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable