GeschichtevsGeschichtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#321
“Geschichte” frequency rank
#1,885
“Geschichten” frequency rank
2206
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Geschichte Geschichten
Definition Vergangenheit der Gesellschaft als Entwicklung und Anpassung gesellschaftlich organisierter Lebewesen an ihre Umwelt Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Geschichte

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Geschichte and Geschichten apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
Geschichte
11 ch
Geschichten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Geschichte ([ɡəˈʃɪçtə]) and Geschichten ([ɡəˈʃɪçtn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Geschichte” sits inside “Geschichten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2206, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Geschichte is recorded at frequency rank #321, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʃɪçtə]. Geschichten is at rank #1,885, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʃɪçtn̩].

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 2206, this pair ranks #2,002,871 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Geschichte vs Geschichten

Shared letters: ceghist. Private to "Geschichte": -. Private to "Geschichten": n.

"Geschichte" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCV  ·  "Geschichten" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Geschichteegschichte · gecshichte · gescchichte · geschcihte · geschhichte · geschicchte · geschichet · geschichhte
  • Geschichtenegschichten · gecshichten · gescchichten · geschcihten · geschhichten · geschicchten · geschichetn · geschichhten

Frequency comparison

Geschichte#321
Geschichten#1,885

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Geschichte" and "Geschichten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈʃɪçtə] versus [ɡəˈʃɪçtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Geschichte" or "Geschichten"?
"Geschichte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #321 in our German list, against #1,885 for "Geschichten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Geschichte vs Geschichten

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 “Geschichte” 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