späteresvsspätesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,036
“späteres” frequency rank
#42,144
“spätes” frequency rank
78180
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature späteres spätes
Definition Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Komparativs des Adjektivs spät Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs spät

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set späteres and spätes apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
späteres
6 ch
spätes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. späteres ([ˈʃpɛːtəʁəs]) and spätes ([ˈʃpɛːtəs]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78180, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

späteres is recorded at frequency rank #36,036, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃpɛːtəʁəs]. spätes is at rank #42,144, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃpɛːtəs].

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 78180, this pair ranks #244,086 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of späteres vs spätes

Shared letters: epstä. Private to "späteres": r. Private to "spätes": -.

"späteres" · 8 letters · shape CCVCVCVC  ·  "spätes" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Frequency comparison

späteres#36,036
spätes#42,144

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "späteres" and "spätes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃpɛːtəʁəs] versus [ˈʃpɛːtəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "späteres" or "spätes"?
"späteres" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #36,036 in our German list, against #42,144 for "spätes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering späteres vs spätes

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 “späteres” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list