kaputtevskaputtesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,628
“kaputte” frequency rank
#43,280
“kaputtes” frequency rank
60908
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kaputte kaputtes
Definition Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kaputt Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kaputt

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
kaputte
8 ch
kaputtes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kaputte ([kaˈpʊtə]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “kaputte” sits inside “kaputtes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60908, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kaputte is recorded at frequency rank #17,628, classified as anadj, pronounced [kaˈpʊtə]. 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 60908, this pair ranks #769,414 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kaputte vs kaputtes

Shared letters: aekptu. Private to "kaputte": -. Private to "kaputtes": s.

"kaputte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "kaputtes" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kaputteakputte · kapputte · kaptute · kapute · kaputet · kauptte · kkaputte · kpautte
  • kaputtesakputtes · kapputtes · kaptutes · kaputes · kaputets · kaputtess · kaputtse · kaupttes

Frequency comparison

kaputte#17,628
kaputtes#43,280

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kaputte" and "kaputtes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kaˈpʊtə] versus [kaˈpʊtəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kaputte" or "kaputtes"?
"kaputte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,628 in our German list, against #43,280 for "kaputtes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kaputte 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 “kaputte” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list