SchildkrötevsSchildkrötenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,047
“Schildkröte” frequency rank
#23,300
“Schildkröten” frequency rank
43347
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Schildkröte Schildkröten
Definition im Wasser und an Land lebendes Reptil mit Schutzpanzer Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Schildkröte

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Schildkröte and Schildkröten apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
Schildkröte
12 ch
Schildkröten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Schildkröte ([ˈʃɪltˌkʁøːtə]) and Schildkröten ([ˈʃɪltˌkʁøːtən]) 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) - “Schildkröte” sits inside “Schildkröten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43347, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Schildkröte is recorded at frequency rank #20,047, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪltˌkʁøːtə]. Schildkröten is at rank #23,300, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃɪltˌkʁøːtən].

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 43347, this pair ranks #1,420,952 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Schildkröte vs Schildkröten

Shared letters: cdehiklrstö. Private to "Schildkröte": -. Private to "Schildkröten": n.

"Schildkröte" · 11 letters · shape CCCVCCCCVCV  ·  "Schildkröten" · 12 letters · shape CCCVCCCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

Schildkröte#20,047
Schildkröten#23,300

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Schildkröte" and "Schildkröten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃɪltˌkʁøːtə] versus [ˈʃɪltˌkʁøːtən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Schildkröte" or "Schildkröten"?
"Schildkröte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,047 in our German list, against #23,300 for "Schildkröten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Schildkröte vs Schildkröten

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 “Schildkröte” 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