Which to use
“Gebäude” and “Gelände” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,057
- “Gebäude” frequency rank
- #2,717
- “Gelände” frequency rank
- 3774
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Gebäude | Gelände |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein vom Menschen errichtetes, meist oberirdisches, ortsfestes Konstrukt/Bauwerk, das einen oder mehrere Räume enthält | irgendein Teil der Landschaft |
Where the eye mixes Gebäude and Gelände
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Gebäude (CVCVVCV) and Gelände (CVCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Gebäude with Gelände
A purely visual mix-up. Gebäude ([ɡəˈbɔɪ̯də]) and Gelände ([ɡəˈlɛndə]) 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 3774, 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]. Gelände is at rank #2,717, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈlɛndə].
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 3774, this pair ranks #1,999,401 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Gebäude vs Gelände
Shared letters: degä. Private to "Gebäude": bu. Private to "Gelände": ln.
"Gebäude" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "Gelände" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Gebäude" for "Gelände" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Gebäude" or "Gelände" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Gebäude" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Gelände" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,999,401 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Gebäude" and "Gelände" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gelände vs Gerlinde". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,999,401 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.