gelähmtvsgelauntConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#21,615
“gelähmt” frequency rank
#14,301
“gelaunt” frequency rank
35916
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gelähmt gelaunt
Definition an einer Lähmung leidend; unfähig, bestimmte Muskeln zu bewegen sich in einer bestimmten Stimmung, Laune befindend

Where the eye mixes gelähmt and gelaunt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. gelähmt (CVCVCCC) and gelaunt (CVCVVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

7 ch
gelähmt
7 ch
gelaunt

Why the eye confuses gelähmt with gelaunt

A purely visual mix-up. gelähmt ([ɡəˈlɛːmt]) and gelaunt ([ɡəˈlaʊ̯nt]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35916, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gelähmt is recorded at frequency rank #21,615, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈlɛːmt]. gelaunt is at rank #14,301, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈlaʊ̯nt].

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 35916, this pair ranks #1,628,378 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gelähmt vs gelaunt

Shared letters: eglt. Private to "gelähmt": hmä. Private to "gelaunt": anu.

"gelähmt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC  ·  "gelaunt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gelaunt ← eglaunt · gealunt · gelanut · gelaunnt · gelauntt · gelautn · gellaunt · geluant

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "gelähmt" for "gelaunt" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈlɛːmt] versus [ɡəˈlaʊ̯nt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gelähmt" or "gelaunt"?
"gelaunt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,301 in our German list, against #21,615 for "gelähmt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "gelähmt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "gelaunt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,628,378 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "gelähmt" and "gelaunt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "gelähmt vs gemäht". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,628,378 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list