FeigheitvsFreiheitWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,719
“Feigheit” frequency rank
#1,132
“Freiheit” frequency rank
28851
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Feigheit Freiheit
Definition feige Eigenschaft: Angst, Scheu vor jeder Gefahr, jedem Risiko Zustand, bei dem jemand von allen Zwängen und Pflichten frei ist

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Feigheit and Freiheit apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Feigheit
8 ch
Freiheit

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Feigheit ([ˈfaɪ̯khaɪ̯t]) and Freiheit ([ˈfʁaɪ̯haɪ̯t]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28851, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Feigheit is recorded at frequency rank #27,719, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfaɪ̯khaɪ̯t]. Freiheit is at rank #1,132, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfʁaɪ̯haɪ̯t].

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 28851, this pair ranks #1,777,431 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Feigheit vs Freiheit

Shared letters: efhit. Private to "Feigheit": g. Private to "Freiheit": r.

"Feigheit" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVVC  ·  "Freiheit" · 8 letters · shape CCVVCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Feigheitefigheit · fegiheit · feigehit · feiggheit · feigheitt · feigheti · feighheit · feighiet
  • Freiheitferiheit · ffreiheit · frehieit · freiehit · freiheitt · freiheti · freihheit · freihiet

Frequency comparison

Feigheit#27,719
Freiheit#1,132

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Feigheit" and "Freiheit" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfaɪ̯khaɪ̯t] versus [ˈfʁaɪ̯haɪ̯t]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Feigheit" or "Freiheit"?
"Freiheit" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,132 in our German list, against #27,719 for "Feigheit". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Feigheit vs Freiheit

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 “Feigheit” 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