GeburtstagvsGeburtstageWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,449
“Geburtstag” frequency rank
#21,980
“Geburtstage” frequency rank
23429
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Geburtstag Geburtstage
Definition dem Kalender entsprechende Angabe des Tages (nebst Monat und Jahr), an dem eine Person geboren wird; Tag von jemandes Geburt Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Geburtstag

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
Geburtstag
11 ch
Geburtstage

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Geburtstag ([ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌtaːk]) and Geburtstage ([ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌtaːɡə]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “Geburtstag” sits inside “Geburtstage”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23429, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Geburtstag is recorded at frequency rank #1,449, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌtaːk]. Geburtstage is at rank #21,980, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌtaːɡə].

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 23429, this pair ranks #1,861,433 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Geburtstag vs Geburtstage

Shared letters: abegrstu. Private to "Geburtstag": -. Private to "Geburtstage": -.

"Geburtstag" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVC  ·  "Geburtstage" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Geburtstagegburtstag · gbeurtstag · gebburtstag · gebrutstag · geburrtstag · gebursttag · geburtsatg · geburtsstag
  • Geburtstageegburtstage · gbeurtstage · gebburtstage · gebrutstage · geburrtstage · gebursttage · geburtsatge · geburtsstage

Frequency comparison

Geburtstag#1,449
Geburtstage#21,980

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Geburtstag" and "Geburtstage" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌtaːk] versus [ɡəˈbuːɐ̯t͡sˌtaːɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Geburtstag" or "Geburtstage"?
"Geburtstag" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,449 in our German list, against #21,980 for "Geburtstage". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Geburtstag vs Geburtstage

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 “Geburtstag” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list