TempelvsTeufelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,657
“Tempel” frequency rank
#3,341
“Teufel” frequency rank
7998
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Tempel Teufel
Definition ein einer Gottheit geweihtes, nichtchristliches Gebäude, das der Ausübung einer Religion dient böses Geisterwesen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Tempel
6 ch
Teufel

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Tempel ([ˈtɛmpl̩]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7998, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Tempel is recorded at frequency rank #4,657, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtɛmpl̩]. 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 7998, this pair ranks #1,986,021 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Tempel vs Teufel

Shared letters: elt. Private to "Tempel": mp. Private to "Teufel": fu.

"Tempel" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Teufel" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Tempeletmpel · temepl · temmpel · tempell · temppel · tepmel · tmepel · ttempel
  • Teufeletufel · tefuel · teuefl · teufell · teuffel · teufle · tteufel · tuefel

Frequency comparison

Tempel#4,657
Teufel#3,341

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Tempel" and "Teufel" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtɛmpl̩] versus [ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Tempel" or "Teufel"?
"Teufel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,341 in our German list, against #4,657 for "Tempel". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Tempel 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 “Tempel” 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