geringfügigvsgeringfügigenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#12,926
“geringfügig” frequency rank
#43,213
“geringfügigen” frequency rank
56139
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature geringfügig geringfügigen
Definition in kleinem Ausmaß; ohne große Auswirkungen Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs geringfügig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set geringfügig and geringfügigen apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
geringfügig
13 ch
geringfügigen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. geringfügig ([ɡəˈʁɪŋˌfyːɡɪç]) and geringfügigen ([ɡəˈʁɪŋˌfyːɡɪɡn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “geringfügig” sits inside “geringfügigen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56139, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

geringfügig is recorded at frequency rank #12,926, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈʁɪŋˌfyːɡɪç]. geringfügigen is at rank #43,213, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈʁɪŋˌfyːɡɪɡn̩].

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 56139, this pair ranks #951,955 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of geringfügig vs geringfügigen

Shared letters: efginrü. Private to "geringfügig": -. Private to "geringfügigen": -.

"geringfügig" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVC  ·  "geringfügigen" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVC

Frequency comparison

geringfügig#12,926
geringfügigen#43,213

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "geringfügig" and "geringfügigen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈʁɪŋˌfyːɡɪç] versus [ɡəˈʁɪŋˌfyːɡɪɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "geringfügig" or "geringfügigen"?
"geringfügig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,926 in our German list, against #43,213 for "geringfügigen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering geringfügig vs geringfügigen

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 “geringfügig” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list