gesetzlichvsgesetzlicheWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,490
“gesetzlich” frequency rank
#5,597
“gesetzliche” frequency rank
11087
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gesetzlich gesetzliche
Definition gesetzmäßig, dem Gesetz nach Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs gesetzlich

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
gesetzlich
11 ch
gesetzliche

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gesetzlich ([ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪç]) and gesetzliche ([ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪçə]) 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) - “gesetzlich” sits inside “gesetzliche”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11087, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gesetzlich is recorded at frequency rank #5,490, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪç]. gesetzliche is at rank #5,597, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪçə].

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 11087, this pair ranks #1,971,767 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gesetzlich vs gesetzliche

Shared letters: ceghilstz. Private to "gesetzlich": -. Private to "gesetzliche": -.

"gesetzlich" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCC  ·  "gesetzliche" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gesetzlichegsetzlich · geestzlich · gesetlzich · gesettzlich · gesetzilch · gesetzlcih · gesetzlicch · gesetzlichh
  • gesetzlicheegsetzliche · geestzliche · gesetlziche · gesettzliche · gesetzilche · gesetzlcihe · gesetzlicche · gesetzliceh

Frequency comparison

gesetzlich#5,490
gesetzliche#5,597

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gesetzlich" and "gesetzliche" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪç] versus [ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪçə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gesetzlich" or "gesetzliche"?
"gesetzlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,490 in our German list, against #5,597 for "gesetzliche". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gesetzlich vs gesetzliche

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 “gesetzlich” 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