modernstevsmodernstenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,767
“modernste” frequency rank
#26,973
“modernsten” frequency rank
55740
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature modernste modernsten
Definition Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs modern Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs modern

Where the eye mixes modernste and modernsten

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.

9 ch
modernste
10 ch
modernsten

Why the eye confuses modernste with modernsten

A purely visual mix-up. modernste ([moˈdɛʁnstə]) and modernsten ([moˈdɛʁnstn̩]) 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) - “modernste” sits inside “modernsten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55740, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

modernste is recorded at frequency rank #28,767, classified as anadj, pronounced [moˈdɛʁnstə]. modernsten is at rank #26,973, tagged as anadj, pronounced [moˈdɛʁnstn̩].

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 55740, this pair ranks #967,642 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of modernste vs modernsten

Shared letters: demnorst. Private to "modernste": -. Private to "modernsten": -.

"modernste" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCCCV  ·  "modernsten" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • modernstemdoernste · mmodernste · moddernste · modenrste · modernnste · modernset · modernsste · modernstte
  • modernstenmdoernsten · mmodernsten · moddernsten · modenrsten · modernnsten · modernsetn · modernssten · modernstenn

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "modernste" and "modernsten" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([moˈdɛʁnstə] versus [moˈdɛʁnstn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "modernste" or "modernsten"?
"modernsten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #26,973 in our German list, against #28,767 for "modernste". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Eye-level mix-up between "modernste" and "modernsten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "modernste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "modernsten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #967,642 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "modernste" and "modernsten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "modernere vs modernste". 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 #967,642 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