Which to use
“Pfeile” and “Pfeilen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,095
- “Pfeile” frequency rank
- #38,945
- “Pfeilen” frequency rank
- 56040
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfeile | Pfeilen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Pfeil | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Pfeil |
Where the eye mixes Pfeile and Pfeilen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Pfeile runs 6 letters (CCVVCV) against Pfeilen's 7 (CCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Pfeile vs Pfeilen
A purely visual mix-up. Pfeile ([ˈp͡faɪ̯lə]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “Pfeile” sits inside “Pfeilen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56040, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pfeile is recorded at frequency rank #17,095, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡faɪ̯lə]. 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 56040, this pair ranks #955,962 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pfeile vs Pfeilen
Shared letters: efilp. Private to "Pfeile": -. Private to "Pfeilen": n.
"Pfeile" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV · "Pfeilen" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Pfeile" and "Pfeilen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Pfeile" or "Pfeilen"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfeile" 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 #955,962 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfeile" 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 #955,962 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.