PferdenvsPfortenConfusable pair

Which to use

“Pferden” and “Pforten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#9,434
“Pferden” frequency rank
#20,366
“Pforten” frequency rank
29800
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pferden Pforten
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Pferd Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Pforte

Where the eye mixes Pferden and Pforten

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Pferden and Pforten follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

7 ch
Pferden
7 ch
Pforten

Look-alike desk: Pferden vs Pforten

A purely visual mix-up. Pferden ([ˈp͡feːɐ̯dn̩]) and Pforten ([ˈp͡fɔʁtn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29800, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pferden is recorded at frequency rank #9,434, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡feːɐ̯dn̩]. Pforten is at rank #20,366, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡fɔʁtn̩].

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 29800, this pair ranks #1,760,060 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Pferden vs Pforten

Shared letters: efnpr. Private to "Pferden": d. Private to "Pforten": ot.

"Pferden" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "Pforten" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pferdenfperden · pefrden · pfedren · pferdden · pferdenn · pferdne · pferedn · pferrden
  • Pfortenfporten · pfforten · pforetn · pforrten · pfortenn · pfortne · pfortten · pfotren

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Pferden" for "Pforten" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈp͡feːɐ̯dn̩] versus [ˈp͡fɔʁtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Pferden" or "Pforten"?
"Pferden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,434 in our German list, against #20,366 for "Pforten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Pferden" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Pforten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,760,060 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Pferden" and "Pforten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pforten vs Pförtner". 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 #1,760,060 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list