GebäudevsGebildeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,057
“Gebäude” frequency rank
#21,613
“Gebilde” frequency rank
22670
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Gebäude Gebilde
Definition ein vom Menschen errichtetes, meist oberirdisches, ortsfestes Konstrukt/Bauwerk, das einen oder mehrere Räume enthält etwas, das eine bestimmte Form oder Gestalt hat, aus einzelnen Teilen zustande gekommen ist, mit ungenau beschreibbarer, unklarer, uneindeutiger Form

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Gebäude
7 ch
Gebilde

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Gebäude ([ɡəˈbɔɪ̯də]) and Gebilde ([ɡəˈbɪldə]) 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 22670, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Gebäude is recorded at frequency rank #1,057, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈbɔɪ̯də]. Gebilde is at rank #21,613, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈbɪldə].

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 22670, this pair ranks #1,871,233 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Gebäude vs Gebilde

Shared letters: bdeg. Private to "Gebäude": . Private to "Gebilde": il.

"Gebäude" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV  ·  "Gebilde" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Gebildeegbilde · gbeilde · gebbilde · gebidle · gebildde · gebiled · gebillde · geblide

Frequency comparison

Gebäude#1,057
Gebilde#21,613

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Gebäude" and "Gebilde" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈbɔɪ̯də] versus [ɡəˈbɪldə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Gebäude" or "Gebilde"?
"Gebäude" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,057 in our German list, against #21,613 for "Gebilde". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Gebäude vs Gebilde

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 “Gebäude” 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