gelähmtvsgesamtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,615
“gelähmt” frequency rank
#8,720
“gesamt” frequency rank
30335
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gelähmt gesamt
Definition an einer Lähmung leidend; unfähig, bestimmte Muskeln zu bewegen alle zugehörigen Dinge und/oder Personen zusammengenommen; ganz, vollständig, vereinigt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gelähmt and gesamt apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
gelähmt
6 ch
gesamt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gelähmt ([ɡəˈlɛːmt]) and gesamt ([ɡəˈzamt]) 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 30335, 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]. gesamt is at rank #8,720, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈzamt].

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 30335, this pair ranks #1,749,904 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gelähmt vs gesamt

Shared letters: egmt. Private to "gelähmt": hlä. Private to "gesamt": as.

"gelähmt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC  ·  "gesamt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gesamtegsamt · geasmt · gesammt · gesamtt · gesatm · gesmat · gessamt · ggesamt

Frequency comparison

gelähmt#21,615
gesamt#8,720

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gelähmt" and "gesamt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈlɛːmt] versus [ɡəˈzamt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gelähmt" or "gesamt"?
"gesamt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,720 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.

Remembering gelähmt vs gesamt

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 “gelähmt” 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