Which to use
“Ratten” and “Retten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,347
- “Ratten” frequency rank
- #2,122
- “Retten” frequency rank
- 12469
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Ratten | Retten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ratte | das Abwenden eines lebensbedrohlichen Zustandes durch lebensrettende Maßnahmen und/oder durch Befreien aus einer lebensbedrohlichen Zwangslage |
Where the eye mixes Ratten and Retten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: Ratten vs Retten
A purely visual mix-up. Ratten ([ˈʁatn̩]) and Retten ([ˈʁɛtn̩]) 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 - a in “Ratten” becomes e in “Retten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Ratten is recorded at frequency rank #10,347, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁatn̩]. Retten is at rank #2,122, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁɛtn̩].
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 12469, this pair ranks #1,964,007 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Ratten vs Retten
Shared letters: enrt. Private to "Ratten": a. Private to "Retten": -.
"Ratten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Retten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Ratten" for "Retten" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Ratten" or "Retten"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Ratten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Retten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,964,007 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Ratten" and "Retten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Ratten vs raunen". 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 #1,964,007 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.