FlankenvsFlickenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,336
“Flanken” frequency rank
#31,547
“Flicken” frequency rank
53883
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Flanken Flicken
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Flanke ein kleiner, meist quadratförmiger Ausschnitt eines Stoffes zur Bedeckung/Reparatur aufgerissener Löcher in Kleidungsstücken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Flanken and Flicken apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Flanken
7 ch
Flicken

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Flanken ([ˈflaŋkn̩]) and Flicken ([ˈflɪkn̩]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53883, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Flanken is recorded at frequency rank #22,336, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈflaŋkn̩]. Flicken is at rank #31,547, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈflɪkn̩].

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 53883, this pair ranks #1,040,634 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Flanken vs Flicken

Shared letters: efkln. Private to "Flanken": a. Private to "Flicken": ci.

"Flanken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "Flicken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Flankenfalnken · fflanken · flaknen · flanekn · flankenn · flankken · flankne · flannken
  • Flickenfflicken · filcken · flciken · fliccken · flicekn · flickenn · flickken · flickne

Frequency comparison

Flanken#22,336
Flicken#31,547

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Flanken" and "Flicken" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈflaŋkn̩] versus [ˈflɪkn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Flanken" or "Flicken"?
"Flanken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,336 in our German list, against #31,547 for "Flicken". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Flanken vs Flicken

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 “Flanken” 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