Which to use
“Gesetz” and “geste” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,058
- “Gesetz” frequency rank
- #8,566
- “geste” frequency rank
- 9624
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Gesetz | geste |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Regel, die ein Gesetzgeber in einem bestimmten Verfahren erlässt und die die jeweilig Untergebenen zu befolgen haben | Gebärde, Geste |
Where the eye mixes Gesetz and geste
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Gesetz and geste
A purely visual mix-up. Gesetz ([ɡəˈzɛt͡s]) and geste ([ʒɛst]) 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 9624, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Gesetz is recorded at frequency rank #1,058, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈzɛt͡s]. geste is at rank #8,566, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʒɛst].
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 9624, this pair ranks #1,979,082 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Gesetz vs geste
Shared letters: egst. Private to "Gesetz": z. Private to "geste": -.
"Gesetz" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC · "geste" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Gesetz" and "geste" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Gesetz" or "geste"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Gesetz" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "geste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,979,082 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Gesetz" and "geste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "geste vs Gustl". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,979,082 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.