StilenvsStufenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#49,273
“Stilen” frequency rank
#6,008
“Stufen” frequency rank
55281
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Stilen Stufen
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Stil Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Stufe

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Stilen and Stufen apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Stilen
6 ch
Stufen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Stilen ([ˈʃtiːlən]) and Stufen ([ˈʃtuːfn̩]) 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 55281, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Stilen is recorded at frequency rank #49,273, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtiːlən]. Stufen is at rank #6,008, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʃtuːfn̩].

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 55281, this pair ranks #985,705 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Stilen vs Stufen

Shared letters: enst. Private to "Stilen": il. Private to "Stufen": fu.

"Stilen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Stufen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Stilensitlen · sstilen · stieln · stilenn · stilne · stlien · sttilen · tsilen
  • Stufensstufen · stfuen · sttufen · stuefn · stufenn · stuffen · stufne · sutfen

Frequency comparison

Stilen#49,273
Stufen#6,008

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Stilen" and "Stufen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃtiːlən] versus [ˈʃtuːfn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Stilen" or "Stufen"?
"Stufen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,008 in our German list, against #49,273 for "Stilen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Stilen vs Stufen

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 “Stilen” 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