PfortenvsPfotenConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#20,366
“Pforten” frequency rank
#18,020
“Pfoten” frequency rank
38386
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pforten Pfoten
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Pforte Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Pfote

Where the eye mixes Pforten and Pfoten

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Pforten runs 7 letters (CCVCCVC) against Pfoten's 6 (CCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
Pforten
6 ch
Pfoten

Look-alike desk: Pforten vs Pfoten

A purely visual mix-up. Pforten ([ˈp͡fɔʁtn̩]) and Pfoten ([ˈp͡foːtn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38386, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pforten is recorded at frequency rank #20,366, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡fɔʁtn̩]. Pfoten is at rank #18,020, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡foːtn̩].

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 38386, this pair ranks #1,565,340 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Pforten vs Pfoten

Shared letters: efnopt. Private to "Pforten": r. Private to "Pfoten": -.

"Pforten" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "Pfoten" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pfortenfporten · pfforten · pforetn · pforrten · pfortenn · pfortne · pfortten · pfotren
  • Pfotenfpoten · pffoten · pfoetn · pfotenn · pfotne · pfotten · pftoen · poften

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Pforten" and "Pfoten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈp͡fɔʁtn̩] versus [ˈp͡foːtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Pforten" vs "Pfoten" - which ranks higher?
"Pfoten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,020 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.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Pforten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Pfoten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,565,340 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Pforten" and "Pfoten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Pfoten vs Proton". 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 #1,565,340 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