Which to use
“härteste” and “härtesten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #26,457
- “härteste” frequency rank
- #19,954
- “härtesten” frequency rank
- 46411
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | härteste | härtesten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs hart | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs hart |
Where the eye mixes härteste and härtesten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. härteste runs 8 letters (CVCCVCCV) against härtesten's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses härteste with härtesten
A purely visual mix-up. härteste ([ˈhɛʁtəstə]) and härtesten ([ˈhɛʁtəstn̩]) 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) - “härteste” sits inside “härtesten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46411, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
härteste is recorded at frequency rank #26,457, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtəstə]. härtesten is at rank #19,954, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtəstn̩].
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 46411, this pair ranks #1,320,049 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of härteste vs härtesten
Shared letters: ehrstä. Private to "härteste": -. Private to "härtesten": n.
"härteste" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV · "härtesten" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "härteste" and "härtesten" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "härteste" vs "härtesten" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "härteste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "härtesten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,320,049 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "härteste" and "härtesten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "härteren vs härtesten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,320,049 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.