gelingtvsgetilgtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,123
“gelingt” frequency rank
#34,128
“getilgt” frequency rank
37251
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gelingt getilgt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs gelingen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs tilgen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gelingt and getilgt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
gelingt
7 ch
getilgt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gelingt ([ɡəˈlɪŋt]) and getilgt ([ɡəˈtɪlkt]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37251, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gelingt is recorded at frequency rank #3,123, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈlɪŋt]. getilgt is at rank #34,128, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈtɪlkt].

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 37251, this pair ranks #1,595,010 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gelingt vs getilgt

Shared letters: egilt. Private to "gelingt": n. Private to "getilgt": -.

"gelingt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC  ·  "getilgt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gelingteglingt · geilngt · gelignt · gelinggt · gelingtt · gelinngt · gelintg · gellingt
  • getilgtegtilgt · geitlgt · getiglt · getilggt · getilgtt · getillgt · getiltg · getligt

Frequency comparison

gelingt#3,123
getilgt#34,128

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gelingt" and "getilgt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈlɪŋt] versus [ɡəˈtɪlkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gelingt" or "getilgt"?
"gelingt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,123 in our German list, against #34,128 for "getilgt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering gelingt vs getilgt

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 “gelingt” 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