Which to use
“Gebäude” and “Gemälde” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,057
- “Gebäude” frequency rank
- #5,085
- “Gemälde” frequency rank
- 6142
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Gebäude | Gemälde |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein vom Menschen errichtetes, meist oberirdisches, ortsfestes Konstrukt/Bauwerk, das einen oder mehrere Räume enthält | ein auf einen Träger (etwa eine Leinwand) aufgebrachtes Bild |
Where the eye mixes Gebäude and Gemälde
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Gebäude and Gemälde
A purely visual mix-up. Gebäude ([ɡəˈbɔɪ̯də]) and Gemälde ([ɡəˈmɛːldə]) 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 6142, 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]. Gemälde is at rank #5,085, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈmɛːldə].
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 6142, this pair ranks #1,992,575 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Gebäude vs Gemälde
Shared letters: degä. Private to "Gebäude": bu. Private to "Gemälde": lm.
"Gebäude" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCV · "Gemälde" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Gebäude" and "Gemälde" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Gebäude" or "Gemälde"?
Useful next steps
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 "Gemälde" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,992,575 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Gebäude" and "Gemälde" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gemälde vs Gemäldes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,992,575 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.