ähnlichvsähnlichesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,049
“ähnlich” frequency rank
#4,243
“ähnliches” frequency rank
5292
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ähnlich ähnliches
Definition in manchem übereinstimmend, teilweise analog Nominativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs ähnlich

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ähnlich and ähnliches apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
ähnlich
9 ch
ähnliches

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ähnlich ([ˈɛːnlɪç]) and ähnliches ([ˈɛːnlɪçəs]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “ähnlich” sits inside “ähnliches”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5292, 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]. ähnliches is at rank #4,243, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɛːnlɪçəs].

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 5292, this pair ranks #1,995,226 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of ähnlich vs ähnliches

Shared letters: chilnä. Private to "ähnlich": -. Private to "ähnliches": es.

"ähnlich" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "ähnliches" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

ähnlich#1,049
ähnliches#4,243

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ähnlich" and "ähnliches" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛːnlɪç] versus [ˈɛːnlɪçəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ähnlich" or "ähnliches"?
"ähnlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,049 in our German list, against #4,243 for "ähnliches". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ähnlich vs ähnliches

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 “ähnlich” 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