Which to use
“ähnlich” and “ähnliche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,049
- “ähnlich” frequency rank
- #2,420
- “ähnliche” frequency rank
- 3469
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ähnlich | ähnliche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in manchem übereinstimmend, teilweise analog | Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs ähnlich |
Where the eye mixes ähnlich and ähnliche
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. ähnlich runs 7 letters (VCCCVCC) against ähnliche's 8 (VCCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses ähnlich with ähnliche
A purely visual mix-up. ähnlich ([ˈɛːnlɪç]) and ähnliche ([ˈɛːnlɪçə]) 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) - “ähnlich” sits inside “ähnliche”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ähnlich is recorded at frequency rank #1,049, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɛːnlɪç]. ähnliche is at rank #2,420, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɛːnlɪçə].
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 3469, this pair ranks #2,000,147 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ähnlich vs ähnliche
Shared letters: chilnä. Private to "ähnlich": -. Private to "ähnliche": e.
"ähnlich" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC · "ähnliche" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ähnlich" and "ähnliche" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ähnlich" or "ähnliche"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ähnlich" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ähnliche" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,000,147 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ähnlich" and "ähnliche" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ähnliche vs ähnlichem". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,000,147 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.