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 eye mixes entschädigen and entschuldigen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. entschädigen runs 12 letters (VCCCCCVCVCVC) against entschuldigen's 13 (VCCCCCVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: entschädigen vs entschuldigen
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "entschädigen" for "entschuldigen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "entschädigen" vs "entschuldigen" - 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 "entschädigen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "entschuldigen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,567,958 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "entschädigen" and "entschuldigen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "entschädigen vs entschädigt". 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 #1,567,958 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.