Which to use
“pfeifen” and “pfeift” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,305
- “pfeifen” frequency rank
- #16,250
- “pfeift” frequency rank
- 27555
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pfeifen | pfeift |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein auffälliges Geräusch durch schnellen Luftzug durch eine kleine Öffnung natürlich (bei Menschen durch die angespitzten, geformten Lippen) oder künstlich erzeugen | 3. Person Singular Präsens Indikativ des Verbs pfeifen |
Where the eye mixes pfeifen and pfeift
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. pfeifen runs 7 letters (CCVVCVC) against pfeift's 6 (CCVVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses pfeifen with pfeift
A purely visual mix-up. pfeifen ([ˈp͡faɪ̯fn̩]) and pfeift ([p͡faɪ̯ft]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27555, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pfeifen is recorded at frequency rank #11,305, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈp͡faɪ̯fn̩]. pfeift is at rank #16,250, tagged as averb, pronounced [p͡faɪ̯ft].
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 27555, this pair ranks #1,799,836 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pfeifen vs pfeift
Shared letters: efip. Private to "pfeifen": n. Private to "pfeift": t.
"pfeifen" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC · "pfeift" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pfeifen" and "pfeift" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "pfeifen" or "pfeift" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "pfeifen" and "pfeift" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "pfeifen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "pfeift" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,799,836 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "pfeifen" and "pfeift" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "pfeifen vs Pfeilern". 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 #1,799,836 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.