kaputt vs kaputtes, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#2,253
“kaputt” frequency rank: #43,280
“kaputtes” frequency rank: 45533
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	kaputt	kaputtes
Definition	in einem schadhaften oder funktionslosen Zustand	Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kaputt

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch

kaputt

8 ch

kaputtes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kaputt ([kaˈpʊt]) and kaputtes ([kaˈpʊtəs]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “kaputt” sits inside “kaputtes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45533, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kaputt is recorded at frequency rank #2,253, classified as anadj, pronounced [kaˈpʊt]. kaputtes is at rank #43,280, tagged as anadj, pronounced [kaˈpʊtəs].

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 45533, this pair ranks #1,349,803 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kaputt vs kaputtes

Shared letters: akptu. Private to "kaputt": -. Private to "kaputtes": es.

"kaputt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "kaputtes" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

kaputt ← akputt · kapputt · kaptut · kaput · kauptt · kkaputt · kpautt
kaputtes ← akputtes · kapputtes · kaptutes · kaputes · kaputets · kaputtess · kaputtse · kaupttes

Frequency comparison

kaputt#2,253

kaputtes#43,280

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kaputt" and "kaputtes" be used interchangeably?

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

Which is more common, "kaputt" or "kaputtes"?

"kaputt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,253 in our German list, against #43,280 for "kaputtes". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering kaputt vs kaputtes

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