Which to use
“höchstens” is an adverb and “höchstes” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,458
- “höchstens” frequency rank
- #27,357
- “höchstes” frequency rank
- 30815
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | höchstens | höchstes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht mehr als, im besten Fall | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs hoch |
Where the eye mixes höchstens and höchstes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. höchstens runs 9 letters (CVCCCCVCC) against höchstes's 8 (CVCCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: höchstens vs höchstes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: höchstens is [ˈhøːçstn̩s] while höchstes is [ˈhøːçstəs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30815, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
höchstens is recorded at frequency rank #3,458, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈhøːçstn̩s]. 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 30815, this pair ranks #1,740,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of höchstens vs höchstes
Shared letters: cehstö. Private to "höchstens": n. Private to "höchstes": -.
"höchstens" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCCVCC · "höchstes" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "höchstens" for "höchstes" ever safe?
Frequency check: "höchstens" vs "höchstes" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "höchstens" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "höchstes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,740,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "höchstens" and "höchstes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "höchstem vs höchstes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,740,529 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.