höchsten vs höchstes, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#2,303
“höchsten” frequency rank: #27,357
“höchstes” frequency rank: 29660
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	höchsten	höchstes
Definition	Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs hoch	Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs hoch

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set höchsten and höchstes apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch

höchsten

8 ch

höchstes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. höchsten ([ˈhøːçstn̩]) and höchstes ([ˈhøːçstəs]) 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 - n in “höchsten” becomes s in “höchstes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29660, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

höchsten is recorded at frequency rank #2,303, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhøːçstn̩]. höchstes is at rank #27,357, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈhøːçstəs].

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 29660, this pair ranks #1,762,646 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of höchsten vs höchstes

Shared letters: cehstö. Private to "höchsten": n. Private to "höchstes": -.

"höchsten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC · "höchstes" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC

Frequency comparison

höchsten#2,303

höchstes#27,357

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "höchsten" and "höchstes" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ˈhøːçstn̩] versus [ˈhøːçstəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "höchsten" or "höchstes"?

"höchsten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,303 in our German list, against #27,357 for "höchstes". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering höchsten vs höchstes

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 “höchsten” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable