RohstoffvsRohstoffeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,677
“Rohstoff” frequency rank
#9,970
“Rohstoffe” frequency rank
28647
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Rohstoff Rohstoffe
Definition zur Verarbeitung bestimmter Ausgangsstoff Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Rohstoff

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Rohstoff and Rohstoffe apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Rohstoff
9 ch
Rohstoffe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Rohstoff ([ˈʁoːˌʃtɔf]) and Rohstoffe ([ˈʁoːˌʃtɔfə]) 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) - “Rohstoff” sits inside “Rohstoffe”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28647, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Rohstoff is recorded at frequency rank #18,677, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁoːˌʃtɔf]. Rohstoffe is at rank #9,970, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁoːˌʃtɔfə].

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 28647, this pair ranks #1,781,064 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Rohstoff vs Rohstoffe

Shared letters: fhorst. Private to "Rohstoff": -. Private to "Rohstoffe": e.

"Rohstoff" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC  ·  "Rohstoffe" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Rohstofforhstoff · rhostoff · rohhstoff · rohsotff · rohsstoff · rohstfof · rohstof · rohsttoff
  • Rohstoffeorhstoffe · rhostoffe · rohhstoffe · rohsotffe · rohsstoffe · rohstfofe · rohstofe · rohstofef

Frequency comparison

Rohstoff#18,677
Rohstoffe#9,970

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Rohstoff" and "Rohstoffe" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʁoːˌʃtɔf] versus [ˈʁoːˌʃtɔfə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Rohstoff" or "Rohstoffe"?
"Rohstoffe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,970 in our German list, against #18,677 for "Rohstoff". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Rohstoff vs Rohstoffe

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 “Rohstoff” 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