Which to use
“Pfeil” and “Pfeilen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,433
- “Pfeil” frequency rank
- #38,945
- “Pfeilen” frequency rank
- 48378
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfeil | Pfeilen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Geschoss, bestehend aus Rohr und Spitze, das mit einem Bogen abgeschossen wird | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Pfeil |
Where the eye mixes Pfeil and Pfeilen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Pfeil runs 5 letters (CCVVC) against Pfeilen's 7 (CCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Pfeil and Pfeilen
A purely visual mix-up. Pfeil ([p͡faɪ̯l]) and Pfeilen ([ˈp͡faɪ̯lən]) 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) - “Pfeil” sits inside “Pfeilen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48378, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pfeil is recorded at frequency rank #9,433, classified as anoun, pronounced [p͡faɪ̯l]. Pfeilen is at rank #38,945, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡faɪ̯lən].
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 48378, this pair ranks #1,250,732 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pfeil vs Pfeilen
Shared letters: efilp. Private to "Pfeil": -. Private to "Pfeilen": n.
"Pfeil" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC · "Pfeilen" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Pfeil" and "Pfeilen" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Pfeil" vs "Pfeilen" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfeil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfeilen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,250,732 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfeil" and "Pfeilen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pfeilen 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 #1,250,732 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.