Which to use
“Pfeilen” and “Pfeiler” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,945
- “Pfeilen” frequency rank
- #18,018
- “Pfeiler” frequency rank
- 56963
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Pfeilen | Pfeiler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dativ Plural 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 Pfeilen and Pfeiler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Pfeilen and Pfeiler follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CCVVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: Pfeilen vs Pfeiler
A purely visual mix-up. Pfeilen ([ˈp͡faɪ̯lən]) 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 a single letter - n in “Pfeilen” becomes r in “Pfeiler”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56963, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Pfeilen is recorded at frequency rank #38,945, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡faɪ̯lən]. 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 56963, this pair ranks #919,917 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Pfeilen vs Pfeiler
Shared letters: efilp. Private to "Pfeilen": n. Private to "Pfeiler": r.
"Pfeilen" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC · "Pfeiler" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Pfeilen" for "Pfeiler" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Pfeilen" or "Pfeiler"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Pfeilen" 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 #919,917 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Pfeilen" and "Pfeiler" 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 #919,917 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.