AberglaubevsAberglaubenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#33,413
“Aberglaube” frequency rank
#34,491
“Aberglauben” frequency rank
67904
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Aberglaube Aberglauben
Definition ein Glaubenssatz oder ein Glaubensgebilde, das dem eigenen gegenüber als irrational, unvernünftig, nutzlos (manchmal auch unmenschlich) und deswegen als unterlegen betrachtet wird ein Glaubenssatz oder ein Glaubensgebilde, das dem eigenen gegenüber als irrational, unvernünftig, nutzlos (manchmal auch unmenschlich) und deswegen als unterlegen betrachtet wird

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Aberglaube and Aberglauben apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
Aberglaube
11 ch
Aberglauben

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Aberglaube ([ˈaːbɐˌɡlaʊ̯bə]) and Aberglauben ([ˈaːbɐˌɡlaʊ̯bn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Aberglaube” sits inside “Aberglauben”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67904, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Aberglaube is recorded at frequency rank #33,413, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈaːbɐˌɡlaʊ̯bə]. Aberglauben is at rank #34,491, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaːbɐˌɡlaʊ̯bn̩].

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 67904, this pair ranks #524,950 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Aberglaube vs Aberglauben

Shared letters: abeglru. Private to "Aberglaube": -. Private to "Aberglauben": n.

"Aberglaube" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCCVVCV  ·  "Aberglauben" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Aberglaubeabberglaube · abegrlaube · abergalube · abergglaube · aberglabue · aberglaubbe · aberglaueb · abergllaube
  • Aberglaubenabberglauben · abegrlauben · abergaluben · abergglauben · aberglabuen · aberglaubben · aberglaubenn · aberglaubne

Frequency comparison

Aberglaube#33,413
Aberglauben#34,491

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Aberglaube" and "Aberglauben" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈaːbɐˌɡlaʊ̯bə] versus [ˈaːbɐˌɡlaʊ̯bn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Aberglaube" or "Aberglauben"?
"Aberglaube" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #33,413 in our German list, against #34,491 for "Aberglauben". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Aberglaube vs Aberglauben

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 “Aberglaube” 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