Which to use
“fünftel” is an adjective and “fünften” is an unknown - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,551
- “fünftel” frequency rank
- #4,432
- “fünften” frequency rank
- 22983
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fünftel | fünften |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | aus einem von fünf gleich großen Teilen bestehend | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum des Numerals fünfte |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fünftel 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: fünftel is [ˈfʏnftl̩] while fünften is [ˈfʏnftn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - l in “fünftel” becomes n in “fünften”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs unknown), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22983, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fünftel is recorded at frequency rank #18,551, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfʏnftl̩]. 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 22983, this pair ranks #1,867,231 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fünftel vs fünften
Shared letters: efntü. Private to "fünftel": l. Private to "fünften": -.
"fünftel" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "fünften" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fünftel" and "fünften" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fünftel" or "fünften"?
Remembering fünftel vs fünften
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “fünftel”; for an unknown, it's “fünften”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fünftel” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable