dankbarvsdenkbarWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,947
“dankbar” frequency rank
#5,469
“denkbar” frequency rank
8416
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature dankbar denkbar
Definition etwas Gutes, das man erfahren hat, anerkennend vorstellbar, in Gedanken möglich

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
dankbar
7 ch
denkbar

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

dankbar and denkbar form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - a in “dankbar” becomes e in “denkbar” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8416, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dankbar is recorded at frequency rank #2,947, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈdaŋkbaːɐ̯]. denkbar is at rank #5,469, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈdɛŋkbaːɐ̯].

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 8416, this pair ranks #1,984,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

dankbar#2,947
denkbar#5,469

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dankbar" and "denkbar" be used interchangeably?
No, "dankbar" and "denkbar" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering dankbar vs denkbar

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 “dankbar” 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