glattvsGlätteWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: glatt is a adjective, Glätte is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“glatt” is an adjective and “Glätte” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#4,435
“glatt” frequency rank
#43,226
“Glätte” frequency rank
47661
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature glatt Glätte
Definition ohne Rauigkeiten und Unebenheiten ebenmäßige Beschaffenheit, das Nichtvorhandensein von Unebenheiten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set glatt and Glätte apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
glatt
6 ch
Glätte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: glatt is [ɡlat] while Glätte is [ˈɡlɛtə]. 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 (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47661, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

glatt is recorded at frequency rank #4,435, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡlat]. Glätte is at rank #43,226, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡlɛtə].

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 47661, this pair ranks #1,276,492 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of glatt vs Glätte

Shared letters: glt. Private to "glatt": a. Private to "Glätte": .

"glatt" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "Glätte" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • glattgglatt · gllatt · gltat · lgatt

Frequency comparison

glatt#4,435
Glätte#43,226

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "glatt" and "Glätte" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "glatt" is an adjective and "Glätte" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "glatt" or "Glätte"?
"glatt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,435 in our German list, against #43,226 for "Glätte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering glatt vs Glätte

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “glatt”; for a noun, it's “Glätte”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “glatt” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list