InstinktvsInstinkteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,629
“Instinkt” frequency rank
#36,993
“Instinkte” frequency rank
57622
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Instinkt Instinkte
Definition Tieren angeborene, nicht gesteuerte Verhaltensweise in bestimmen Situationen Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Instinkt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Instinkt and Instinkte apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Instinkt
9 ch
Instinkte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Instinkt ([ɪnˈstɪŋkt]) and Instinkte ([ɪnˈstɪŋktə]) 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) - “Instinkt” sits inside “Instinkte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57622, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Instinkt is recorded at frequency rank #20,629, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɪnˈstɪŋkt]. Instinkte is at rank #36,993, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɪnˈstɪŋktə].

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 57622, this pair ranks #894,309 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Instinkt vs Instinkte

Shared letters: iknst. Private to "Instinkt": -. Private to "Instinkte": e.

"Instinkt" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC  ·  "Instinkte" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Instinktinnstinkt · insitnkt · insstinkt · instiknt · instinkkt · instinktt · instinnkt · instintk
  • Instinkteinnstinkte · insitnkte · insstinkte · instiknte · instinket · instinkkte · instinktte · instinnkte

Frequency comparison

Instinkt#20,629
Instinkte#36,993

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Instinkt" and "Instinkte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɪnˈstɪŋkt] versus [ɪnˈstɪŋktə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Instinkt" or "Instinkte"?
"Instinkt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,629 in our German list, against #36,993 for "Instinkte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Instinkt vs Instinkte

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 “Instinkt” 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