festlegenvsfestlegtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,717
“festlegen” frequency rank
#32,031
“festlegt” frequency rank
41748
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature festlegen festlegt
Definition einen verbindlichen Beschluss fassen, eine verbindliche Entscheidung treffen; durch verbindliche Regeln, Vorschriften bestimmen, verordnen; verbindlich festsetzen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs festlegen

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
festlegen
8 ch
festlegt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

festlegen and festlegt form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41748, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

festlegen is recorded at frequency rank #9,717, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɛstˌleːɡn̩]. festlegt is at rank #32,031, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfɛstˌleːkt].

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 41748, this pair ranks #1,470,290 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

festlegen#9,717
festlegt#32,031

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "festlegen" and "festlegt" be used interchangeably?
No, "festlegen" and "festlegt" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering festlegen vs festlegt

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 “festlegen” 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