FlüchtlingevsFlüchtlingsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,076
“Flüchtlinge” frequency rank
#23,130
“Flüchtlings” frequency rank
24206
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Flüchtlinge Flüchtlings
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Flüchtling Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Flüchtling

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Flüchtlinge and Flüchtlings apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
Flüchtlinge
11 ch
Flüchtlings

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Flüchtlinge ([ˈflʏçtlɪŋə]) and Flüchtlings ([ˈflʏçtlɪŋs]) 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 a single letter - e in “Flüchtlinge” becomes s in “Flüchtlings”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24206, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Flüchtlinge is recorded at frequency rank #1,076, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈflʏçtlɪŋə]. Flüchtlings is at rank #23,130, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈflʏçtlɪŋs].

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 24206, this pair ranks #1,850,917 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Flüchtlinge vs Flüchtlings

Shared letters: cfghilntü. Private to "Flüchtlinge": e. Private to "Flüchtlings": s.

"Flüchtlinge" · 11 letters · shape CCVCCCCVCCV  ·  "Flüchtlings" · 11 letters · shape CCVCCCCVCCC

Frequency comparison

Flüchtlinge#1,076
Flüchtlings#23,130

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Flüchtlinge" and "Flüchtlings" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈflʏçtlɪŋə] versus [ˈflʏçtlɪŋs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Flüchtlinge" or "Flüchtlings"?
"Flüchtlinge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,076 in our German list, against #23,130 for "Flüchtlings". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Flüchtlinge vs Flüchtlings

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 “Flüchtlinge” 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