Which to use
“entschädigen” and “entschuldigen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #33,023
- “entschädigen” frequency rank
- #5,259
- “entschuldigen” frequency rank
- 38282
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | entschädigen | entschuldigen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Schaden, dem man einem anderen zugefügt hat, ausgleichen oder wiedergutmachen (häufig dadurch, dass man einen angemessenen Geldbetrag zahlt) | freisprechen von einer Schuld |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entschädigen and entschuldigen apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. entschädigen ([ɛntˈʃɛːdɪɡn̩]) and entschuldigen ([ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38282, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
entschädigen is recorded at frequency rank #33,023, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈʃɛːdɪɡn̩]. entschuldigen is at rank #5,259, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡn̩].
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 38282, this pair ranks #1,567,958 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of entschädigen vs entschuldigen
Shared letters: cdeghinst. Private to "entschädigen": ä. Private to "entschuldigen": lu.
"entschädigen" · 12 letters · shape VCCCCCVCVCVC · "entschuldigen" · 13 letters · shape VCCCCCVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- entschuldigen ← enntschuldigen · enstchuldigen · entcshuldigen · entscchuldigen · entschhuldigen · entschludigen · entschudligen · entschulddigen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "entschädigen" and "entschuldigen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "entschädigen" or "entschuldigen"?
Remembering entschädigen vs entschuldigen
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 “entschädigen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable