zehntelvszehntenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,220
“zehntel” frequency rank
#9,304
“zehnten” frequency rank
31524
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature zehntel zehnten
Definition aus einem von zehn gleich großen Teilen bestehend Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs zehnte

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zehntel and zehnten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
zehntel
7 ch
zehnten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

zehntel and zehnten form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - l in “zehntel” becomes n in “zehnten” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31524, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zehntel is recorded at frequency rank #22,220, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡seːntl̩]. zehnten is at rank #9,304, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡seːntn̩].

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 31524, this pair ranks #1,726,349 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

zehntel#22,220
zehnten#9,304

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zehntel" and "zehnten" be used interchangeably?
No, "zehntel" and "zehnten" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering zehntel vs zehnten

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 “zehntel” 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