Which to use
“Grete” and “Gretel” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,967
- “Grete” frequency rank
- #25,578
- “Gretel” frequency rank
- 62545
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Grete | Gretel |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | weiblicher Vorname | weiblicher Vorname |
Where the eye mixes Grete and Gretel
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Grete runs 5 letters (CCVCV) against Gretel's 6 (CCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Grete vs Gretel
A purely visual mix-up. Grete ([ˈɡʁeːtə]) and Gretel ([ˈɡʁeːtl̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Grete” sits inside “Gretel”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62545, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Grete is recorded at frequency rank #36,967, classified as aname, pronounced [ˈɡʁeːtə]. Gretel is at rank #25,578, tagged as aname, pronounced [ˈɡʁeːtl̩].
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 62545, this pair ranks #708,930 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Grete vs Gretel
Shared letters: egrt. Private to "Grete": -. Private to "Gretel": l.
"Grete" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "Gretel" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Grete" for "Gretel" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Grete" vs "Gretel" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Grete" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Gretel" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #708,930 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Grete" and "Gretel" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "greco vs Grete". 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 #708,930 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.