fähigvsfälligWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,300
“fähig” frequency rank
#8,057
“fällig” frequency rank
14357
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fähig fällig
Definition in der Lage, imstande (etwas zu tun); über die Möglichkeiten verfügend, etwas zu tun innerhalb der Erfüllungsfrist befindlich

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
fähig
6 ch
fällig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fähig ([ˈfɛːɪç]) and fällig ([ˈfɛlɪç]) 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 14357, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fähig is recorded at frequency rank #6,300, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfɛːɪç]. fällig is at rank #8,057, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfɛlɪç].

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 14357, this pair ranks #1,951,759 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of fähig vs fällig

Shared letters: fgiä. Private to "fähig": h. Private to "fällig": l.

"fähig" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "fällig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Frequency comparison

fähig#6,300
fällig#8,057

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fähig" and "fällig" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɛːɪç] versus [ˈfɛlɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fähig" or "fällig"?
"fähig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,300 in our German list, against #8,057 for "fällig". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fähig vs fällig

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 “fähig” 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