GefechtenvsGefechtsWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

“Gefechten” and “Gefechts” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#30,074
“Gefechten” frequency rank
#45,957
“Gefechts” frequency rank
76031
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Gefechten Gefechts
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Gefecht Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Gefecht

Where the eye mixes Gefechten and Gefechts

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Gefechten runs 9 letters (CVCVCCCVC) against Gefechts's 8 (CVCVCCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

9 ch
Gefechten
8 ch
Gefechts

Look-alike desk: Gefechten vs Gefechts

A purely visual mix-up. Gefechten ([ɡəˈfɛçtn̩]) and Gefechts ([ɡəˈfɛçt͡s]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 76031, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Gefechten is recorded at frequency rank #30,074, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛçtn̩]. Gefechts is at rank #45,957, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛçt͡s].

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 76031, this pair ranks #293,453 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Gefechten vs Gefechts

Shared letters: cefght. Private to "Gefechten": n. Private to "Gefechts": s.

"Gefechten" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCCVC  ·  "Gefechts" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Gefechten ← egfechten · geefchten · gefcehten · gefecchten · gefechetn · gefechhten · gefechtenn · gefechtne
  • Gefechts ← egfechts · geefchts · gefcehts · gefecchts · gefechhts · gefechst · gefechtss · gefechtts

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Gefechten" and "Gefechts" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈfɛçtn̩] versus [ɡəˈfɛçt͡s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Gefechten" vs "Gefechts" - which ranks higher?
"Gefechten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #30,074 in our German list, against #45,957 for "Gefechts". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Gefechten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Gefechts" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #293,453 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Gefechten" and "Gefechts" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gedichts vs Gefechts". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #293,453 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list