Which to use
“flüchten” is a verb and “flüchtigen” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #9,193
- “flüchten” frequency rank
- #17,578
- “flüchtigen” frequency rank
- 26771
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | flüchten | flüchtigen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | meist schnell und wenig vorbereitet, vor einer drohenden Gefahr oder aus einer unangenehmen Situation fliehen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs flüchtig |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set flüchten and flüchtigen apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: flüchten is [ˈflʏçtn̩] while flüchtigen is [ˈflʏçtɪɡn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26771, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
flüchten is recorded at frequency rank #9,193, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈflʏçtn̩]. flüchtigen is at rank #17,578, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈflʏçtɪɡn̩].
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 26771, this pair ranks #1,812,656 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of flüchten vs flüchtigen
Shared letters: cefhlntü. Private to "flüchten": -. Private to "flüchtigen": gi.
"flüchten" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC · "flüchtigen" · 10 letters · shape CCVCCCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "flüchten" and "flüchtigen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "flüchten" or "flüchtigen"?
Remembering flüchten vs flüchtigen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “flüchten”; for an adjective, it's “flüchtigen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “flüchten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable