KoffervsKöterWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#4,903
“Koffer” frequency rank
#33,162
“Köter” frequency rank
38065
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Koffer Köter
Definition Transportbehältnis für Kleidung, Akten oder andere Gegenstände Hund^([1])

Where the eye mixes Koffer and Köter

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. Koffer runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against Köter's 5 (CVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

6 ch
Koffer
5 ch
Köter

Why the eye confuses Koffer with Köter

A purely visual mix-up. Koffer ([ˈkɔfɐ]) and Köter ([ˈkøːtɐ]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38065, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Koffer is recorded at frequency rank #4,903, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɔfɐ]. Köter is at rank #33,162, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkøːtɐ].

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 38065, this pair ranks #1,573,703 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Koffer vs Köter

Shared letters: ekr. Private to "Koffer": fo. Private to "Köter": tö.

"Koffer" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Köter" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Koffer ← kfofer · kkoffer · kofefr · kofer · kofferr · koffre · okffer

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Koffer" and "Köter" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɔfɐ] versus [ˈkøːtɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Koffer" or "Köter"?
"Koffer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,903 in our German list, against #33,162 for "Köter". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Koffer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Köter" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,573,703 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Koffer" and "Köter" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Köter vs Kutter". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,573,703 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list