GeschickvsGeschmackWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,152
“Geschick” frequency rank
#2,446
“Geschmack” frequency rank
15598
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Geschick Geschmack
Definition Fähigkeit Sinn zu schmecken, geschmackliche Wahrnehmungsfähigkeit, Geschmackssinn

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Geschick and Geschmack apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Geschick
9 ch
Geschmack

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Geschick ([ɡəˈʃɪk]) and Geschmack ([ɡəˈʃmak]) 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 15598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Geschick is recorded at frequency rank #13,152, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʃɪk]. Geschmack is at rank #2,446, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈʃmak].

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 15598, this pair ranks #1,942,594 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Geschick vs Geschmack

Shared letters: ceghks. Private to "Geschick": i. Private to "Geschmack": am.

"Geschick" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC  ·  "Geschmack" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Geschickegschick · gecshick · gescchick · geschcik · geschhick · geschicck · geschickk · geschikc
  • Geschmackegschmack · gecshmack · gescchmack · geschamck · geschhmack · geschmacck · geschmackk · geschmakc

Frequency comparison

Geschick#13,152
Geschmack#2,446

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Geschick" and "Geschmack" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈʃɪk] versus [ɡəˈʃmak]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Geschick" or "Geschmack"?
"Geschmack" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,446 in our German list, against #13,152 for "Geschick". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Geschick vs Geschmack

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 “Geschick” 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