Which to use
“Pfeile” and “Pfeiler” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,095
- “Pfeile” frequency rank
- #18,018
- “Pfeiler” frequency rank
- 35113
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfeile | Pfeiler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Pfeil | ein frei oder an der Wand stehender, mehr oder minder schlanker nur prismatischer, auch runder Körper aus Stein, Holz, Mauerwerk, Kunststoff oder Metall zur Aufnahme von Lasten darüberliegender Bauteile |
Where the eye mixes Pfeile and Pfeiler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Pfeile runs 6 letters (CCVVCV) against Pfeiler's 7 (CCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Pfeile and Pfeiler
A purely visual mix-up. Pfeile ([ˈp͡faɪ̯lə]) and Pfeiler ([ˈp͡faɪ̯lɐ]) 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 “Pfeiler”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35113, 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]. Pfeiler is at rank #18,018, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡faɪ̯lɐ].
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 35113, this pair ranks #1,647,751 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Pfeile vs Pfeiler
Shared letters: efilp. Private to "Pfeile": -. Private to "Pfeiler": r.
"Pfeile" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV · "Pfeiler" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Pfeile" and "Pfeiler" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Pfeile" vs "Pfeiler" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Pfeile" and "Pfeiler" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfeile" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfeiler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,647,751 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfeile" and "Pfeiler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pfeiler 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 #1,647,751 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.