gutemvsgutesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,125
“gutem” frequency rank
#793
“gutes” frequency rank
4918
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gutem gutes
Definition Dativ Singular Maskulinum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs gut Nominativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs gut

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
gutem
5 ch
gutes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gutem ([ˈɡuːtəm]) and gutes ([ˈɡuːtəs]) 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 a single letter - m in “gutem” becomes s in “gutes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4918, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gutem is recorded at frequency rank #4,125, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡuːtəm]. gutes is at rank #793, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡuːtəs].

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 4918, this pair ranks #1,996,292 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gutem vs gutes

Shared letters: egtu. Private to "gutem": m. Private to "gutes": s.

"gutem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "gutes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gutemggutem · gtuem · guetm · gutemm · gutme · guttem · ugtem
  • gutesggutes · gtues · guets · gutess · gutse · guttes · ugtes

Frequency comparison

gutem#4,125
gutes#793

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gutem" and "gutes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡuːtəm] versus [ˈɡuːtəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gutem" or "gutes"?
"gutes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #793 in our German list, against #4,125 for "gutem". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gutem vs gutes

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “gutem” 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