Which to use
“rettet” and “rotten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,104
- “rettet” frequency rank
- #34,340
- “rotten” frequency rank
- 41444
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | rettet | rotten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Präsens Indikativ des Verbs retten | faulen, verfallen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set rettet and rotten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. rettet ([ˈʁɛtət]) and rotten ([ˈʁɔtn̩]) 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 41444, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
rettet is recorded at frequency rank #7,104, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʁɛtət]. rotten is at rank #34,340, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʁɔtn̩].
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 41444, this pair ranks #1,479,216 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of rettet vs rotten
Shared letters: ert. Private to "rettet": -. Private to "rotten": no.
"rettet" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "rotten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "rettet" and "rotten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "rettet" or "rotten"?
Remembering rettet vs rotten
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 “rettet” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable