Which to use
“fünften” is an unknown and “fünfzehn” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,432
- “fünften” frequency rank
- #11,876
- “fünfzehn” frequency rank
- 16308
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fünften | fünfzehn |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum des Numerals fünfte | die Kardinalzahl zwischen vierzehn und sechzehn |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fünften and fünfzehn 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: fünften is [ˈfʏnftn̩] while fünfzehn is [ˈfʏnft͡seːn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (unknown vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16308, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fünften is recorded at frequency rank #4,432, classified as anunknown, pronounced [ˈfʏnftn̩]. fünfzehn is at rank #11,876, tagged as anum, pronounced [ˈfʏnft͡seːn].
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 16308, this pair ranks #1,936,910 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fünften vs fünfzehn
Shared letters: efnü. Private to "fünften": t. Private to "fünfzehn": hz.
"fünften" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "fünfzehn" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fünften" and "fünfzehn" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fünften" or "fünfzehn"?
Remembering fünften vs fünfzehn
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an unknown, it's “fünften”; for a num, it's “fünfzehn”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fünften” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable