geflogenvsgeflossenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,487
“geflogen” frequency rank
#23,527
“geflossen” frequency rank
29014
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature geflogen geflossen
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs fliegen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs fließen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set geflogen and geflossen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
geflogen
9 ch
geflossen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. geflogen ([ɡəˈfloːɡn̩]) and geflossen ([ɡəˈflɔsn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29014, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

geflogen is recorded at frequency rank #5,487, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈfloːɡn̩]. geflossen is at rank #23,527, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈflɔsn̩].

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 29014, this pair ranks #1,774,567 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of geflogen vs geflossen

Shared letters: efglno. Private to "geflogen": -. Private to "geflossen": s.

"geflogen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "geflossen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • geflogenegflogen · gefflogen · geflgoen · gefllogen · gefloegn · geflogenn · gefloggen · geflogne
  • geflossenegflossen · gefflossen · gefllossen · geflosen · geflosesn · geflossenn · geflossne · gefloßen

Frequency comparison

geflogen#5,487
geflossen#23,527

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "geflogen" and "geflossen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈfloːɡn̩] versus [ɡəˈflɔsn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "geflogen" or "geflossen"?
"geflogen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,487 in our German list, against #23,527 for "geflossen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering geflogen vs geflossen

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 “geflogen” 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