TelefonnummervsTelefonnummernWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,112
“Telefonnummer” frequency rank
#26,641
“Telefonnummern” frequency rank
32753
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Telefonnummer Telefonnummern
Definition eine eindeutige Nummer in einem Vorwahlbereich, die einem Telefonanschluss zugeordnet ist Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Telefonnummer

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Telefonnummer and Telefonnummern apart are highlighted. They share 13 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

13 ch
Telefonnummer
14 ch
Telefonnummern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Telefonnummer ([teləˈfoːnˌnʊmɐ]) and Telefonnummern ([teləˈfoːnˌnʊmɐn]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Telefonnummer” sits inside “Telefonnummern”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32753, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Telefonnummer is recorded at frequency rank #6,112, classified as anoun, pronounced [teləˈfoːnˌnʊmɐ]. Telefonnummern is at rank #26,641, tagged as anoun, pronounced [teləˈfoːnˌnʊmɐn].

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 32753, this pair ranks #1,700,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Telefonnummer vs Telefonnummern

Shared letters: eflmnortu. Private to "Telefonnummer": -. Private to "Telefonnummern": -.

"Telefonnummer" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCVCCVCCVC  ·  "Telefonnummern" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCVCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Telefonnummeretlefonnummer · teelfonnummer · teleffonnummer · telefnonummer · telefonnmumer · telefonnumemr · telefonnumer · telefonnummerr
  • Telefonnummernetlefonnummern · teelfonnummern · teleffonnummern · telefnonummern · telefonnmumern · telefonnumemrn · telefonnumern · telefonnummenr

Frequency comparison

Telefonnummer#6,112
Telefonnummern#26,641

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Telefonnummer" and "Telefonnummern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([teləˈfoːnˌnʊmɐ] versus [teləˈfoːnˌnʊmɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Telefonnummer" or "Telefonnummern"?
"Telefonnummer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,112 in our German list, against #26,641 for "Telefonnummern". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Telefonnummer vs Telefonnummern

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 “Telefonnummer” 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