Which to use
“härtere” and “härteste” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #23,568
- “härtere” frequency rank
- #26,457
- “härteste” frequency rank
- 50025
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | härtere | härteste |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Komparativs des Adjektivs hart | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs hart |
Where the eye mixes härtere and härteste
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. härtere runs 7 letters (CVCCVCV) against härteste's 8 (CVCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses härtere with härteste
A purely visual mix-up. härtere ([ˈhɛʁtəʁə]) and härteste ([ˈhɛʁtəstə]) 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 50025, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
härtere is recorded at frequency rank #23,568, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtəʁə]. härteste is at rank #26,457, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtəstə].
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 50025, this pair ranks #1,189,440 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of härtere vs härteste
Shared letters: ehrtä. Private to "härtere": -. Private to "härteste": s.
"härtere" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "härteste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "härtere" and "härteste" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "härtere" or "härteste"?
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 "härtere" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "härteste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,189,440 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "härtere" and "härteste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "härten vs härtere". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,189,440 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.