befolgtvsbefugtWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: befolgt is a verb, befugt is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“befolgt” is a verb and “befugt” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#17,526
“befolgt” frequency rank
#25,060
“befugt” frequency rank
42586
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature befolgt befugt
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs befolgen die Befugnis, das Recht, die Bevollmächtigung zu etwas besitzend

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set befolgt and befugt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
befolgt
6 ch
befugt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: befolgt is [bəˈfɔlkt] while befugt is [bəˈfuːkt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42586, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

befolgt is recorded at frequency rank #17,526, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈfɔlkt]. befugt is at rank #25,060, tagged as anadj, pronounced [bəˈfuːkt].

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 42586, this pair ranks #1,444,806 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of befolgt vs befugt

Shared letters: befgt. Private to "befolgt": lo. Private to "befugt": u.

"befolgt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC  ·  "befugt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • befolgtbbefolgt · beffolgt · beflogt · befoglt · befolggt · befolgtt · befollgt · befoltg
  • befugtbbefugt · beffugt · befgut · befuggt · befugtt · befutg · beufgt · bfeugt

Frequency comparison

befolgt#17,526
befugt#25,060

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "befolgt" and "befugt" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "befolgt" is a verb and "befugt" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "befolgt" or "befugt"?
"befolgt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,526 in our German list, against #25,060 for "befugt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering befolgt vs befugt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “befolgt”; for an adjective, it's “befugt”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “befolgt” 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