Which to use
“Pfad” and “Pfaden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,788
- “Pfad” frequency rank
- #40,750
- “Pfaden” frequency rank
- 50538
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfad | Pfaden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schmaler Weg, der nur von Fußgängern benutzt wird | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Pfad |
Where the eye mixes Pfad and Pfaden
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Pfad runs 4 letters (CCVC) against Pfaden's 6 (CCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Pfad with Pfaden
A purely visual mix-up. Pfad ([p͡faːt]) and Pfaden ([ˈp͡faːdn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Pfad” sits inside “Pfaden”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50538, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pfad is recorded at frequency rank #9,788, classified as anoun, pronounced [p͡faːt]. Pfaden is at rank #40,750, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡faːdn̩].
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 50538, this pair ranks #1,169,885 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pfad vs Pfaden
Shared letters: adfp. Private to "Pfad": -. Private to "Pfaden": en.
"Pfad" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "Pfaden" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Pfad" and "Pfaden" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Pfad" vs "Pfaden" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfad" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfaden" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,169,885 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfad" and "Pfaden" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Paraden vs Pfaden". 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 #1,169,885 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.