GefällevsGefolgeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,228
“Gefälle” frequency rank
#17,297
“Gefolge” frequency rank
36525
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Gefälle Gefolge
Definition der Grad der Neigung einer Straße oder eines Geländes eine Gruppe von Personen, die sich einer wichtigen Persönlichkeit anschließen und dieser dienen

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Gefälle
7 ch
Gefolge

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Gefälle ([ɡəˈfɛlə]) and Gefolge ([ɡəˈfɔlɡə]) 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 36525, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Gefälle is recorded at frequency rank #19,228, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛlə]. Gefolge is at rank #17,297, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɔlɡə].

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 36525, this pair ranks #1,613,422 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Gefälle vs Gefolge

Shared letters: efgl. Private to "Gefälle": ä. Private to "Gefolge": o.

"Gefälle" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV  ·  "Gefolge" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Gefolgeegfolge · geffolge · gefloge · gefogle · gefoleg · gefolgge · gefollge · geoflge

Frequency comparison

Gefälle#19,228
Gefolge#17,297

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Gefälle" and "Gefolge" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈfɛlə] versus [ɡəˈfɔlɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Gefälle" or "Gefolge"?
"Gefolge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,297 in our German list, against #19,228 for "Gefälle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Gefälle vs Gefolge

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 “Gefälle” 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