Which to use
“fünfzig” is a num and “Fünfziger” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,286
- “fünfzig” frequency rank
- #28,199
- “Fünfziger” frequency rank
- 40485
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fünfzig | Fünfziger |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf mal zehn, die Kardinalzahl zwischen 49 und 51 (siehe auch vierzig und sechzig) | ein Geldschein oder seltener eine Münze mit dem Wert 50 Währungseinheiten |
Where the eye mixes fünfzig and Fünfziger
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses fünfzig with Fünfziger
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fünfzig is [ˈfʏnft͡sɪç] while Fünfziger is [ˈfʏnft͡sɪɡɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “fünfzig” sits inside “Fünfziger”, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40485, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fünfzig is recorded at frequency rank #12,286, classified as anum, pronounced [ˈfʏnft͡sɪç]. Fünfziger is at rank #28,199, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfʏnft͡sɪɡɐ].
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 40485, this pair ranks #1,507,089 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fünfzig vs Fünfziger
Shared letters: fginzü. Private to "fünfzig": -. Private to "Fünfziger": er.
"fünfzig" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "Fünfziger" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fünfzig" and "Fünfziger" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "fünfzig" or "Fünfziger" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "fünfzig" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Fünfziger" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,507,089 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "fünfzig" and "Fünfziger" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fündig vs fünfzig". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,507,089 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.