TeufelvsTrüffelWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,341
“Teufel” frequency rank
#42,193
“Trüffel” frequency rank
45534
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Teufel Trüffel
Definition böses Geisterwesen ein unter der Erde wachsender, edler, knollenförmiger, zu den Schlauchpilzen zählender Speisepilz

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Teufel
7 ch
Trüffel

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Teufel ([ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩]) and Trüffel ([ˈtʁʏfl̩]) 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 45534, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Teufel is recorded at frequency rank #3,341, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩]. Trüffel is at rank #42,193, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈtʁʏfl̩].

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 45534, this pair ranks #1,349,761 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Teufel vs Trüffel

Shared letters: eflt. Private to "Teufel": u. Private to "Trüffel": .

"Teufel" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC  ·  "Trüffel" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Teufeletufel · tefuel · teuefl · teufell · teuffel · teufle · tteufel · tuefel

Frequency comparison

Teufel#3,341
Trüffel#42,193

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Teufel" and "Trüffel" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩] versus [ˈtʁʏfl̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Teufel" or "Trüffel"?
"Teufel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,341 in our German list, against #42,193 for "Trüffel". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Teufel vs Trüffel

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 “Teufel” 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