Which to use
“beeilen” and “befehlen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,460
- “beeilen” frequency rank
- #17,525
- “befehlen” frequency rank
- 42985
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | beeilen | befehlen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (die Geschwindigkeit erhöhen), sich schneller bewegen, schneller machen | einen bindenden Auftrag erteilen, etwas Bestimmtes genau befolgend auszuführen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set beeilen and befehlen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. beeilen ([bəˈʔaɪ̯lən]) and befehlen ([bəˈfeːlən]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42985, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
beeilen is recorded at frequency rank #25,460, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈʔaɪ̯lən]. befehlen is at rank #17,525, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈfeːlən].
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 42985, this pair ranks #1,432,207 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of beeilen vs befehlen
Shared letters: beln. Private to "beeilen": i. Private to "befehlen": fh.
"beeilen" · 7 letters · shape CVVVCVC · "befehlen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "beeilen" and "befehlen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "beeilen" or "befehlen"?
Remembering beeilen vs befehlen
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 “beeilen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable