vielfachenvsvierfacheWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,287
“vielfachen” frequency rank
#35,529
“vierfache” frequency rank
72816
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vielfachen vierfache
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs vielfach Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs vierfach

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vielfachen and vierfache apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
vielfachen
9 ch
vierfache

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. vielfachen ([ˈfiːlfaxn̩]) and vierfache ([ˈfiːɐ̯faxə]) 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 72816, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vielfachen is recorded at frequency rank #37,287, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfiːlfaxn̩]. vierfache is at rank #35,529, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfiːɐ̯faxə].

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 72816, this pair ranks #377,756 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of vielfachen vs vierfache

Shared letters: acefhiv. Private to "vielfachen": ln. Private to "vierfache": r.

"vielfachen" · 10 letters · shape CVVCCVCCVC  ·  "vierfache" · 9 letters · shape CVVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • vielfachenivelfachen · veilfachen · vieflachen · vielafchen · vielfacchen · vielfacehn · vielfachenn · vielfachhen
  • vierfacheiverfache · veirfache · viefrache · vierafche · vierfacche · vierfaceh · vierfachhe · vierfahce

Frequency comparison

vielfachen#37,287
vierfache#35,529

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vielfachen" and "vierfache" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfiːlfaxn̩] versus [ˈfiːɐ̯faxə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "vielfachen" or "vierfache"?
"vierfache" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #35,529 in our German list, against #37,287 for "vielfachen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering vielfachen vs vierfache

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 “vielfachen” 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