bemalenvsbemaltWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#41,066
“bemalen” frequency rank
#21,189
“bemalt” frequency rank
62255
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bemalen bemalt
Definition mit Malereien verzieren, dekorieren Partizip Perfekt des Verbs bemalen

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
bemalen
6 ch
bemalt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. bemalen ([bəˈmaːlən]) and bemalt ([bəˈmaːlt]) 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 62255, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bemalen is recorded at frequency rank #41,066, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈmaːlən]. bemalt is at rank #21,189, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈmaːlt].

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 62255, this pair ranks #719,675 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of bemalen vs bemalt

Shared letters: abelm. Private to "bemalen": n. Private to "bemalt": t.

"bemalen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "bemalt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • bemalenbbemalen · beamlen · bemaeln · bemalenn · bemallen · bemalne · bemlaen · bemmalen
  • bemaltbbemalt · beamlt · bemallt · bemaltt · bematl · bemlat · bemmalt · bmealt

Frequency comparison

bemalen#41,066
bemalt#21,189

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bemalen" and "bemalt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈmaːlən] versus [bəˈmaːlt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "bemalen" or "bemalt"?
"bemalt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,189 in our German list, against #41,066 for "bemalen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering bemalen vs bemalt

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 “bemalen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list