MeilensteinvsMeilensteineWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,874
“Meilenstein” frequency rank
#32,668
“Meilensteine” frequency rank
47542
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Meilenstein Meilensteine
Definition ein behauener, säulenförmiger Stein, der Meilenangaben oder andere Entfernungsangaben trägt Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Meilenstein

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Meilenstein and Meilensteine apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
Meilenstein
12 ch
Meilensteine

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Meilenstein ([ˈmaɪ̯lənˌʃtaɪ̯n]) and Meilensteine ([ˈmaɪ̯lənˌʃtaɪ̯nə]) 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) - “Meilenstein” sits inside “Meilensteine”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47542, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Meilenstein is recorded at frequency rank #14,874, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaɪ̯lənˌʃtaɪ̯n]. Meilensteine is at rank #32,668, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaɪ̯lənˌʃtaɪ̯nə].

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 47542, this pair ranks #1,280,646 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Meilenstein vs Meilensteine

Shared letters: eilmnst. Private to "Meilenstein": -. Private to "Meilensteine": -.

"Meilenstein" · 11 letters · shape CVVCVCCCVVC  ·  "Meilensteine" · 12 letters · shape CVVCVCCCVVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Meilensteinemilenstein · meielnstein · meilennstein · meilensetin · meilensstein · meilensteinn · meilensteni · meilenstien
  • Meilensteineemilensteine · meielnsteine · meilennsteine · meilensetine · meilenssteine · meilensteien · meilensteinne · meilenstenie

Frequency comparison

Meilenstein#14,874
Meilensteine#32,668

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Meilenstein" and "Meilensteine" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmaɪ̯lənˌʃtaɪ̯n] versus [ˈmaɪ̯lənˌʃtaɪ̯nə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Meilenstein" or "Meilensteine"?
"Meilenstein" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,874 in our German list, against #32,668 for "Meilensteine". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Meilenstein vs Meilensteine

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 “Meilenstein” 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