MetaphervsMetaphernWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,434
“Metapher” frequency rank
#31,178
“Metaphern” frequency rank
46612
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Metapher Metaphern
Definition bildhafte Umschreibung, bildlicher Ausdruck Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Metapher

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Metapher and Metaphern apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Metapher
9 ch
Metaphern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Metapher ([meˈtafɐ]) and Metaphern ([meˈtafɐn]) 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) - “Metapher” sits inside “Metaphern”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46612, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Metapher is recorded at frequency rank #15,434, classified as anoun, pronounced [meˈtafɐ]. Metaphern is at rank #31,178, tagged as anoun, pronounced [meˈtafɐn].

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 46612, this pair ranks #1,313,133 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Metapher vs Metaphern

Shared letters: aehmprt. Private to "Metapher": -. Private to "Metaphern": n.

"Metapher" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "Metaphern" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Metapheremtapher · meatpher · metahper · metapehr · metapherr · metaphher · metaphre · metappher
  • Metaphernemtaphern · meatphern · metahpern · metapehrn · metaphenr · metaphernn · metapherrn · metaphhern

Frequency comparison

Metapher#15,434
Metaphern#31,178

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Metapher" and "Metaphern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([meˈtafɐ] versus [meˈtafɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Metapher" or "Metaphern"?
"Metapher" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,434 in our German list, against #31,178 for "Metaphern". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Metapher vs Metaphern

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 “Metapher” 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