Which to use
“Retten” is a noun and “rösten” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,122
- “Retten” frequency rank
- #45,557
- “rösten” frequency rank
- 47679
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Retten | rösten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | das Abwenden eines lebensbedrohlichen Zustandes durch lebensrettende Maßnahmen und/oder durch Befreien aus einer lebensbedrohlichen Zwangslage | Flachs oder Hanf zum Gewinnen von Pflanzenfasern mürbe machen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Retten and rösten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Retten is [ˈʁɛtn̩] while rösten is [ˈʁœstn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47679, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Retten is recorded at frequency rank #2,122, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁɛtn̩]. rösten is at rank #45,557, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʁœstn̩].
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 47679, this pair ranks #1,275,871 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Retten vs rösten
Shared letters: enrt. Private to "Retten": -. Private to "rösten": sö.
"Retten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "rösten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Retten ← ertten · reten · retetn · rettenn · rettne · rretten
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Retten" and "rösten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Retten" or "rösten"?
Remembering Retten vs rösten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Retten”; for a verb, it's “rösten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Retten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable