SumpfvsSümpfeTell them apart

Which to use

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

#12,800
“Sumpf” frequency rank
#47,043
“Sümpfe” frequency rank
59843
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Sumpf Sümpfe
Definition flache, stehende Wasserfläche mit Vegetation Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Sumpf

Where the eye mixes Sumpf and Sümpfe

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Sumpf runs 5 letters (CVCCC) against Sümpfe's 6 (CVCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

5 ch
Sumpf
6 ch
Sümpfe

Visual trap between Sumpf and Sümpfe

A purely visual mix-up. Sumpf ([zʊmp͡f]) and Sümpfe ([ˈzʏmp͡fə]) 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 59843, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Sumpf is recorded at frequency rank #12,800, classified as anoun, pronounced [zʊmp͡f]. Sümpfe is at rank #47,043, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈzʏmp͡fə].

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 59843, this pair ranks #809,232 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Sumpf vs Sümpfe

Shared letters: fmps. Private to "Sumpf": u. Private to "Sümpfe": eü.

"Sumpf" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "Sümpfe" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Sumpf ← smupf · ssumpf · sumfp · summpf · sumpff · sumppf · supmf · usmpf

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Sumpf" and "Sümpfe" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([zʊmp͡f] versus [ˈzʏmp͡fə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Sumpf" vs "Sümpfe" - which ranks higher?
"Sumpf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,800 in our German list, against #47,043 for "Sümpfe". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Sumpf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Sümpfe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #809,232 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Sumpf" and "Sümpfe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "sample vs Sümpfe". 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 #809,232 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list