kompetentenvskompetenterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#26,070
“kompetenten” frequency rank
#31,133
“kompetenter” frequency rank
57203
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kompetenten kompetenter
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kompetent Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kompetent

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kompetenten and kompetenter apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
kompetenten
11 ch
kompetenter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kompetenten ([kɔmpəˈtɛntn̩]) and kompetenter ([kɔmpəˈtɛntɐ]) 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 a single letter - n in “kompetenten” becomes r in “kompetenter”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57203, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kompetenten is recorded at frequency rank #26,070, classified as anadj, pronounced [kɔmpəˈtɛntn̩]. kompetenter is at rank #31,133, tagged as anadj, pronounced [kɔmpəˈtɛntɐ].

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 57203, this pair ranks #910,450 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kompetenten vs kompetenter

Shared letters: ekmnopt. Private to "kompetenten": -. Private to "kompetenter": r.

"kompetenten" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC  ·  "kompetenter" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kompetentenkkompetenten · kmopetenten · komeptenten · kommpetenten · kompeetnten · kompetenetn · kompetennten · kompetentenn
  • kompetenterkkompetenter · kmopetenter · komeptenter · kommpetenter · kompeetnter · kompetenetr · kompetennter · kompetenterr

Frequency comparison

kompetenten#26,070
kompetenter#31,133

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kompetenten" and "kompetenter" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɔmpəˈtɛntn̩] versus [kɔmpəˈtɛntɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kompetenten" or "kompetenter"?
"kompetenten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #26,070 in our German list, against #31,133 for "kompetenter". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kompetenten vs kompetenter

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 “kompetenten” 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