billigvsbilligerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,251
“billig” frequency rank
#5,918
“billiger” frequency rank
10169
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature billig billiger
Definition angemessen (recht und billig) Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs billig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set billig and billiger apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
billig
8 ch
billiger

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. billig ([ˈbɪlɪç]) and billiger ([ˈbɪlɪɡɐ]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “billig” sits inside “billiger”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10169, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

billig is recorded at frequency rank #4,251, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈbɪlɪç]. billiger is at rank #5,918, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈbɪlɪɡɐ].

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 10169, this pair ranks #1,976,449 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of billig vs billiger

Shared letters: bgil. Private to "billig": -. Private to "billiger": er.

"billig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "billiger" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • billigbbillig · bilig · bililg · billgi · billigg · blilig · ibllig
  • billigerbbilliger · biliger · bililger · billgier · billiegr · billigerr · billigger · billigre

Frequency comparison

billig#4,251
billiger#5,918

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "billig" and "billiger" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈbɪlɪç] versus [ˈbɪlɪɡɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "billig" or "billiger"?
"billig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,251 in our German list, against #5,918 for "billiger". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering billig vs billiger

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 “billig” 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