MutevsMutesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,098
“Mute” frequency rank
#46,166
“Mutes” frequency rank
86264
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Mute Mutes
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Mut Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Mut

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Mute and Mutes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Mute
5 ch
Mutes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Mute ([ˈmuːtə]) and Mutes ([ˈmuːtəs]) 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) - “Mute” sits inside “Mutes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 86264, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Mute is recorded at frequency rank #40,098, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈmuːtə]. Mutes is at rank #46,166, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmuːtəs].

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 86264, this pair ranks #96,270 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Mute vs Mutes

Shared letters: emtu. Private to "Mute": -. Private to "Mutes": s.

"Mute" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Mutes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Mutemmute · mtue · muet · umte
  • Mutesmmutes · mtues · muets · mutess · mutse · muttes · umtes

Frequency comparison

Mute#40,098
Mutes#46,166

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Mute" and "Mutes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmuːtə] versus [ˈmuːtəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Mute" or "Mutes"?
"Mute" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #40,098 in our German list, against #46,166 for "Mutes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Mute vs Mutes

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 “Mute” 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