stummenvsstumpfenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#44,951
“stummen” frequency rank
#31,286
“stumpfen” frequency rank
76237
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature stummen stumpfen
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs stumm Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs stumpf

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
stummen
8 ch
stumpfen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. stummen ([ˈʃtʊmən]) and stumpfen ([ˈʃtʊmp͡fn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 76237, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

stummen is recorded at frequency rank #44,951, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃtʊmən]. stumpfen is at rank #31,286, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʃtʊmp͡fn̩].

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 76237, this pair ranks #288,651 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of stummen vs stumpfen

Shared letters: emnstu. Private to "stummen": -. Private to "stumpfen": fp.

"stummen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "stumpfen" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • stummensstummen · stmumen · sttummen · stumemn · stumen · stummenn · stummne · sutmmen
  • stumpfensstumpfen · stmupfen · sttumpfen · stumfpen · stummpfen · stumpefn · stumpfenn · stumpffen

Frequency comparison

stummen#44,951
stumpfen#31,286

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "stummen" and "stumpfen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃtʊmən] versus [ˈʃtʊmp͡fn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "stummen" or "stumpfen"?
"stumpfen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #31,286 in our German list, against #44,951 for "stummen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering stummen vs stumpfen

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 “stummen” 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