bemaltvsbezahltWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,189
“bemalt” frequency rank
#1,623
“bezahlt” frequency rank
22812
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bemalt bezahlt
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs bemalen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs bezahlen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
bemalt
7 ch
bezahlt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. bemalt ([bəˈmaːlt]) and bezahlt ([bəˈt͡saːlt]) 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 22812, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bemalt is recorded at frequency rank #21,189, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈmaːlt]. bezahlt is at rank #1,623, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈt͡saːlt].

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 22812, this pair ranks #1,869,443 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of bemalt vs bezahlt

Shared letters: abelt. Private to "bemalt": m. Private to "bezahlt": hz.

"bemalt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "bezahlt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • bemaltbbemalt · beamlt · bemallt · bemaltt · bematl · bemlat · bemmalt · bmealt
  • bezahltbbezahlt · beazhlt · bezahhlt · bezahllt · bezahltt · bezahtl · bezalht · bezhalt

Frequency comparison

bemalt#21,189
bezahlt#1,623

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bemalt" and "bezahlt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈmaːlt] versus [bəˈt͡saːlt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "bemalt" or "bezahlt"?
"bezahlt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,623 in our German list, against #21,189 for "bemalt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering bemalt vs bezahlt

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 “bemalt” 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