Which to use
“kalter” is an adjective and “Kartei” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,047
- “kalter” frequency rank
- #48,265
- “Kartei” frequency rank
- 65312
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kalter | Kartei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kalt | nach einem bestimmten Prinzip sortierte Sammlung von Daten auf Karten oder Blättern gleichen Formats |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kalter and Kartei apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kalter is [ˈkaltɐ] while Kartei is [kaʁˈtaɪ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65312, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kalter is recorded at frequency rank #17,047, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈkaltɐ]. Kartei is at rank #48,265, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kaʁˈtaɪ̯].
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 65312, this pair ranks #611,272 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kalter vs Kartei
Shared letters: aekrt. Private to "kalter": l. Private to "Kartei": i.
"kalter" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Kartei" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kalter" and "Kartei" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kalter" or "Kartei"?
Remembering kalter vs Kartei
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “kalter”; for a noun, it's “Kartei”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kalter” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable