MeisternvsMeternWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#11,288
“Meistern” frequency rank
#2,848
“Metern” frequency rank
14136
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Meistern Metern
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Meister Dativ Plural des Substantivs Meter

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Meistern
6 ch
Metern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Meistern ([ˈmaɪ̯stɐn]) and Metern ([ˈmeːtɐn]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14136, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Meistern is recorded at frequency rank #11,288, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmaɪ̯stɐn]. Metern is at rank #2,848, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmeːtɐn].

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 14136, this pair ranks #1,953,319 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Meistern vs Metern

Shared letters: emnrt. Private to "Meistern": is. Private to "Metern": -.

"Meistern" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCC  ·  "Metern" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Meisternemistern · meisetrn · meisstern · meistenr · meisternn · meisterrn · meistren · meisttern
  • Meternemtern · meetrn · metenr · meternn · meterrn · metren · mettern · mmetern

Frequency comparison

Meistern#11,288
Metern#2,848

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Meistern" and "Metern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmaɪ̯stɐn] versus [ˈmeːtɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Meistern" or "Metern"?
"Metern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,848 in our German list, against #11,288 for "Meistern". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Meistern vs Metern

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 “Meistern” 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