Which to use
“schlechteste” and “schlechtesten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,560
- “schlechteste” frequency rank
- #13,474
- “schlechtesten” frequency rank
- 24034
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schlechteste | schlechtesten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Superlativs des Adjektivs schlecht | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs schlecht |
Where the eye mixes schlechteste and schlechtesten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. schlechteste runs 12 letters (CCCCVCCCVCCV) against schlechtesten's 13 (CCCCVCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses schlechteste with schlechtesten
A purely visual mix-up. schlechteste ([ˈʃlɛçtəstə]) and schlechtesten ([ˈʃlɛçtəstn̩]) 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) - “schlechteste” sits inside “schlechtesten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24034, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schlechteste is recorded at frequency rank #10,560, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɛçtəstə]. schlechtesten is at rank #13,474, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃlɛçtəstn̩].
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 24034, this pair ranks #1,853,236 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schlechteste vs schlechtesten
Shared letters: cehlst. Private to "schlechteste": -. Private to "schlechtesten": n.
"schlechteste" · 12 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVCCV · "schlechtesten" · 13 letters · shape CCCCVCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- schlechteste ← cshlechteste · scchlechteste · schelchteste · schhlechteste · schlcehteste · schlecchteste · schlechetste · schlechhteste
- schlechtesten ← cshlechtesten · scchlechtesten · schelchtesten · schhlechtesten · schlcehtesten · schlecchtesten · schlechetsten · schlechhtesten
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "schlechteste" and "schlechtesten" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "schlechteste" or "schlechtesten" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "schlechteste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schlechtesten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,853,236 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schlechteste" and "schlechtesten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schlechteren vs schlechtesten". 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 #1,853,236 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.