GefühlenvsGefühlsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,719
“Gefühlen” frequency rank
#43,203
“Gefühls” frequency rank
51922
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Gefühlen Gefühls
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Gefühl Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Gefühl

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Gefühlen and Gefühls apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Gefühlen
7 ch
Gefühls

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Gefühlen ([ɡəˈfyːlən]) and Gefühls ([ɡəˈfyːls]) 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 51922, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Gefühlen is recorded at frequency rank #8,719, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfyːlən]. Gefühls is at rank #43,203, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfyːls].

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 51922, this pair ranks #1,116,830 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Gefühlen vs Gefühls

Shared letters: efghlü. Private to "Gefühlen": n. Private to "Gefühls": s.

"Gefühlen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "Gefühls" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC

Frequency comparison

Gefühlen#8,719
Gefühls#43,203

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Gefühlen" and "Gefühls" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈfyːlən] versus [ɡəˈfyːls]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Gefühlen" or "Gefühls"?
"Gefühlen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,719 in our German list, against #43,203 for "Gefühls". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Gefühlen vs Gefühls

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 “Gefühlen” 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