Which to use
“ehrgeizig” and “ehrgeizige” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,970
- “ehrgeizig” frequency rank
- #37,471
- “ehrgeizige” frequency rank
- 63441
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ehrgeizig | ehrgeizige |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | starker Wunsch, sich vor anderen auszuzeichnen, Streben nach Ehren | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs ehrgeizig |
Where the eye mixes ehrgeizig and ehrgeizige
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. ehrgeizig runs 9 letters (VCCCVVCVC) against ehrgeizige's 10 (VCCCVVCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between ehrgeizig and ehrgeizige
A purely visual mix-up. ehrgeizig ([ˈeːɐ̯ˌɡaɪ̯t͡sɪç]) and ehrgeizige ([ˈeːɐ̯ˌɡaɪ̯t͡sɪɡə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “ehrgeizig” sits inside “ehrgeizige”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63441, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ehrgeizig is recorded at frequency rank #25,970, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯ˌɡaɪ̯t͡sɪç]. ehrgeizige is at rank #37,471, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯ˌɡaɪ̯t͡sɪɡə].
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 63441, this pair ranks #676,745 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ehrgeizig vs ehrgeizige
Shared letters: eghirz. Private to "ehrgeizig": -. Private to "ehrgeizige": -.
"ehrgeizig" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVVCVC · "ehrgeizige" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- ehrgeizig ← ehgreizig · ehhrgeizig · ehregizig · ehrgeiizg · ehrgeizgi · ehrgeizigg · ehrgeizzig · ehrgeziig
- ehrgeizige ← ehgreizige · ehhrgeizige · ehregizige · ehrgeiizge · ehrgeizgie · ehrgeizieg · ehrgeizigge · ehrgeizzige
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ehrgeizig" and "ehrgeizige" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ehrgeizig" vs "ehrgeizige" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ehrgeizig" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ehrgeizige" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #676,745 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ehrgeizig" and "ehrgeizige" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ehrgeizige vs ehrgeizigen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #676,745 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.