PfotevsPfotenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,136
“Pfote” frequency rank
#18,020
“Pfoten” frequency rank
58156
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pfote Pfoten
Definition (mit Ausnahme der Huftiere – vom Rind, Schaf, Schwein abgesehen, deren Extremitäten gelegentlich »Pfoten« anstatt »Klauen« genannt werden – und Primaten) bei landlebenden Säugetieren (zumeist Raubtieren) in Zehen gespaltenes Ende der Extremitäten Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Pfote

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Pfote and Pfoten apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Pfote
6 ch
Pfoten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Pfote ([ˈp͡foːtə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Pfote” sits inside “Pfoten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58156, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pfote is recorded at frequency rank #40,136, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡foːtə]. 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 58156, this pair ranks #873,603 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Pfote vs Pfoten

Shared letters: efopt. Private to "Pfote": -. Private to "Pfoten": n.

"Pfote" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV  ·  "Pfoten" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pfotefpote · pffote · pfoet · pfotte · pftoe · pofte · ppfote
  • Pfotenfpoten · pffoten · pfoetn · pfotenn · pfotne · pfotten · pftoen · poften

Frequency comparison

Pfote#40,136
Pfoten#18,020

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Pfote" and "Pfoten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈp͡foːtə] versus [ˈp͡foːtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Pfote" or "Pfoten"?
"Pfoten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,020 in our German list, against #40,136 for "Pfote". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Pfote vs Pfoten

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Pfote” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list