Which to use
“gefällig” is an adjective and “gefälligst” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,557
- “gefällig” frequency rank
- #10,286
- “gefälligst” frequency rank
- 28843
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gefällig | gefälligst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem einen Dienst (Gefallen) erweisend | im 17. bis 19. Jahrhundert die höfische und amtsdeutsche Form von „bitte“ |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gefällig and gefälligst apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gefällig is [ɡəˈfɛlɪç] while gefälligst is [ɡəˈfɛlɪçst]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “gefällig” sits inside “gefälligst”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28843, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gefällig is recorded at frequency rank #18,557, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛlɪç]. gefälligst is at rank #10,286, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛlɪçst].
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 28843, this pair ranks #1,777,607 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gefällig vs gefälligst
Shared letters: efgilä. Private to "gefällig": -. Private to "gefälligst": st.
"gefällig" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "gefälligst" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gefällig" and "gefälligst" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gefällig" or "gefälligst"?
Remembering gefällig vs gefälligst
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “gefällig”; for an adverb, it's “gefälligst”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “gefällig” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable