billigvsbissigWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,251
“billig” frequency rank
#48,011
“bissig” frequency rank
52262
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature billig bissig
Definition angemessen (recht und billig) charakterlich so, dass jemand/etwas zum schnellen Zubeißen neigt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set billig and bissig apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
billig
6 ch
bissig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. billig ([ˈbɪlɪç]) and bissig ([ˈbɪsɪç]) 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 52262, 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]. bissig is at rank #48,011, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈbɪsɪç].

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 52262, this pair ranks #1,103,691 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of billig vs bissig

Shared letters: bgi. Private to "billig": l. Private to "bissig": s.

"billig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "bissig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • billigbbillig · bilig · bililg · billgi · billigg · blilig · ibllig
  • bissigbbissig · bisig · bisisg · bissgi · bissigg · bißig · bsisig · ibssig

Frequency comparison

billig#4,251
bissig#48,011

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "billig" and "bissig" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈbɪlɪç] versus [ˈbɪsɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "billig" or "bissig"?
"billig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,251 in our German list, against #48,011 for "bissig". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering billig vs bissig

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list