höchstvshöchsteWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: höchst is a adverb, höchste is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“höchst” is an adverb and “höchste” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#4,360
“höchst” frequency rank
#2,344
“höchste” frequency rank
6704
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature höchst höchste
Definition in größtem Maße Nominativ Singular Femininum Superlativ der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs hoch

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set höchst and höchste apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
höchst
7 ch
höchste

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: höchst is [høːçst] while höchste is [ˈhøːçstə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “höchst” sits inside “höchste”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6704, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

höchst is recorded at frequency rank #4,360, classified as anadv, pronounced [høːçst]. höchste is at rank #2,344, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈhøːçstə].

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 6704, this pair ranks #1,990,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of höchst vs höchste

Shared letters: chstö. Private to "höchst": -. Private to "höchste": e.

"höchst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "höchste" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV

Frequency comparison

höchst#4,360
höchste#2,344

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "höchst" and "höchste" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "höchst" is an adverb and "höchste" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "höchst" or "höchste"?
"höchste" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,344 in our German list, against #4,360 for "höchst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering höchst vs höchste

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “höchst”; for an adjective, it's “höchste”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “höchst” 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