TafelvsTeufelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,119
“Tafel” frequency rank
#3,341
“Teufel” frequency rank
8460
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Tafel Teufel
Definition ein plattenförmiges Stück (oft verwendet als Darreichungsform für Schokolade) böses Geisterwesen

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Tafel
6 ch
Teufel

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Tafel ([ˈtaːfl̩]) and Teufel ([ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩]) 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 8460, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Tafel is recorded at frequency rank #5,119, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtaːfl̩]. Teufel is at rank #3,341, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩].

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 8460, this pair ranks #1,984,180 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Tafel vs Teufel

Shared letters: eflt. Private to "Tafel": a. Private to "Teufel": u.

"Tafel" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "Teufel" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Tafelatfel · taefl · tafell · taffel · tafle · tfael · ttafel
  • Teufeletufel · tefuel · teuefl · teufell · teuffel · teufle · tteufel · tuefel

Frequency comparison

Tafel#5,119
Teufel#3,341

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Tafel" and "Teufel" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtaːfl̩] versus [ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Tafel" or "Teufel"?
"Teufel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,341 in our German list, against #5,119 for "Tafel". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Tafel vs Teufel

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 “Tafel” 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