bestellenvsbestohlenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,026
“bestellen” frequency rank
#37,402
“bestohlen” frequency rank
40428
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bestellen bestohlen
Definition eine Ware oder Dienstleistung zur Lieferung in Auftrag geben Partizip Perfekt des Verbs bestehlen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bestellen and bestohlen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
bestellen
9 ch
bestohlen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. bestellen ([bəˈʃtɛlən]) and bestohlen ([bəˈʃtoːlən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40428, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bestellen is recorded at frequency rank #3,026, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈʃtɛlən]. bestohlen is at rank #37,402, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈʃtoːlən].

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 40428, this pair ranks #1,508,784 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of bestellen vs bestohlen

Shared letters: belnst. Private to "bestellen": -. Private to "bestohlen": ho.

"bestellen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "bestohlen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • bestellenbbestellen · besetllen · besstellen · besteleln · bestelen · bestellenn · bestellne · bestlelen
  • bestohlenbbestohlen · besothlen · besstohlen · bestholen · bestoheln · bestohhlen · bestohlenn · bestohllen

Frequency comparison

bestellen#3,026
bestohlen#37,402

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bestellen" and "bestohlen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈʃtɛlən] versus [bəˈʃtoːlən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "bestellen" or "bestohlen"?
"bestellen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,026 in our German list, against #37,402 for "bestohlen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering bestellen vs bestohlen

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 “bestellen” 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