In German, every noun is assigned a grammatical gender and most of the time, these genders follow clear rules or long-established traditions, but some words cause disagreement even among native speakers. This variation often comes from regional dialects, historical developments, or the influence of loanwords. Some words have multiple accepted genders depending on context or geography, making them particularly interesting for learners and linguists alike.
One commonly disputed word is Butter (butter). In standard German, it is feminine: die Butter. However, in parts of southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, many people say der Butter. This usage dates back to older forms of German when words ending in "-er" were often masculine. Some dialects even use das Butter, although this is less common. While the feminine form is the norm in formal writing and standard German, in everyday speech, masculine usage persists in many regions.
Another frequently debated word is Joghurt (yogurt). Both der Joghurt and das Joghurt are widely used. The masculine form is more common in Germany, while the neuter form is preferred in Austria and Switzerland. The confusion likely comes from the word's foreign origin—borrowed from Turkish—and the fact that many borrowed words undergo different gender assignments depending on the region. The German Duden dictionary lists both forms as correct, meaning neither is technically wrong.
The word Keks (biscuit, cookie) presents another case of gender variation. The standard form is der Keks, making it masculine, but in parts of Austria and Bavaria, people often say das Keks. The reason for this is partly phonetic and partly historical. The word comes from the English "cakes," and in Austrian German, foreign-sounding nouns often take the neuter gender. This case is particularly interesting because das Keks is considered incorrect in standard German, yet it remains widespread in spoken language.
Another example is Radio (radio). Both das Radio and der Radio are in use, but they have different meanings in some contexts. Das Radio refers to the device itself—the physical object that plays music or broadcasts. Meanwhile, der Radio is sometimes used, particularly in Austria, to mean "the radio station" or "radio as a medium."
Another interesting case is Teller (plate). In most of Germany, der Teller is the only accepted form. However, in some areas of Austria and Switzerland, people sometimes use das Teller instead. This is another example of how dialectal differences can influence grammatical gender.
Words borrowed from other languages frequently create uncertainty. Laptop (laptop computer) can be either der Laptop or das Laptop, with der Laptop being the preferred form in standard German. Similarly, SMS (text message) fluctuates between die SMS and das SMS, with the feminine form being more common in Germany and the neuter form in Austria.
One of the most confusing cases is Event (event). In standard German, it is typically das Event, as most borrowed English nouns tend to be neuter. However, many people say der Event, influenced by words like der Moment or der Termin, which also describe occurrences. This variation remains unsettled in everyday speech.
Regional differences also appear with words like Bonbon (candy, sweet). The standard form is das Bonbon, but in some areas, particularly in southern Germany and Austria, people say der Bonbon. The word comes from French, where nouns do not follow German gender rules, contributing to the uncertainty.
Even seemingly simple words like Duschgel (shower gel) can be problematic. Both das Duschgel and der Duschgel are used, with das Duschgel being more common in standard German. However, masculine usage appears in some dialects, likely due to association with der Gel (which is not standard) rather than das Gel.