OpfervsOtterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#837
“Opfer” frequency rank
#35,946
“Otter” frequency rank
36783
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Opfer Otter
Definition meist rituelle Gabe an einen Gott kleines Säugetier, das im und am Wasser lebt und zur Familie der Marder gehört

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Opfer and Otter apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Opfer
5 ch
Otter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Opfer ([ˈɔp͡fɐ]) and Otter ([ˈɔtɐ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36783, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Opfer is recorded at frequency rank #837, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɔp͡fɐ]. Otter is at rank #35,946, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɔtɐ].

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 36783, this pair ranks #1,606,796 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Opfer vs Otter

Shared letters: eor. Private to "Opfer": fp. Private to "Otter": t.

"Opfer" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC  ·  "Otter" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Opferofper · opefr · opferr · opffer · opfre · oppfer · pofer
  • Otteroter · otetr · otterr · ottre

Frequency comparison

Opfer#837
Otter#35,946

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Opfer" and "Otter" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɔp͡fɐ] versus [ˈɔtɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Opfer" or "Otter"?
"Opfer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #837 in our German list, against #35,946 for "Otter". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Opfer vs Otter

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 “Opfer” 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