Which to use
“wertlos” and “wortlos” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,525
- “wertlos” frequency rank
- #37,314
- “wortlos” frequency rank
- 52839
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wertlos | wortlos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ohne Wert, keinen Wert habend | ohne Worte, ohne etwas zu sagen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wertlos and wortlos apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. wertlos ([ˈveːɐ̯tˌloːs]) and wortlos ([ˈvɔʁtloːs]) 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 a single letter - e in “wertlos” becomes o in “wortlos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52839, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wertlos is recorded at frequency rank #15,525, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈveːɐ̯tˌloːs]. wortlos is at rank #37,314, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈvɔʁtloːs].
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 52839, this pair ranks #1,081,306 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of wertlos vs wortlos
Shared letters: lorstw. Private to "wertlos": e. Private to "wortlos": -.
"wertlos" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "wortlos" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wertlos" and "wortlos" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "wertlos" or "wortlos"?
Remembering wertlos vs wortlos
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 “wertlos” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable