Which to use
“subtil” and “subtiler” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,336
- “subtil” frequency rank
- #49,283
- “subtiler” frequency rank
- 74619
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | subtil | subtiler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | auf eine differenzierte und feine Art vorhanden, angelegt oder gegliedert; in die Feinheiten gehend | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs subtil |
Where the eye mixes subtil and subtiler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between subtil and subtiler
A purely visual mix-up. subtil ([zʊpˈtiːl]) and subtiler ([zʊpˈtiːlɐ]) 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 extra letter(s) - “subtil” sits inside “subtiler”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 74619, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
subtil is recorded at frequency rank #25,336, classified as anadj, pronounced [zʊpˈtiːl]. subtiler is at rank #49,283, tagged as anadj, pronounced [zʊpˈtiːlɐ].
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 74619, this pair ranks #328,710 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of subtil vs subtiler
Shared letters: bilstu. Private to "subtil": -. Private to "subtiler": er.
"subtil" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "subtiler" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "subtil" and "subtiler" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "subtil" or "subtiler"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "subtil" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "subtiler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #328,710 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "subtil" and "subtiler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "subtilen vs subtiler". 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 #328,710 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.