Which to use
“belügen” and “betrügen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #31,957
- “belügen” frequency rank
- #17,830
- “betrügen” frequency rank
- 49787
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | belügen | betrügen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem eine Unwahrheit erzählen, bewusst Lügen verbreiten | jemandem absichtlich und böswillig die Unwahrheit sagen |
Where the eye mixes belügen and betrügen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. belügen runs 7 letters (CVCVCVC) against betrügen's 8 (CVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses belügen with betrügen
A purely visual mix-up. belügen ([bəˈlyːɡn̩]) and betrügen ([bəˈtʁyːɡn̩]) 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 49787, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
belügen is recorded at frequency rank #31,957, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈlyːɡn̩]. betrügen is at rank #17,830, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈtʁyːɡn̩].
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 49787, this pair ranks #1,198,420 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of belügen vs betrügen
Shared letters: begnü. Private to "belügen": l. Private to "betrügen": rt.
"belügen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "betrügen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "belügen" for "betrügen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "belügen" or "betrügen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "belügen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "betrügen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,198,420 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "belügen" and "betrügen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "belügen vs Blusen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,198,420 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.