Which to use
“gesetzlich” and “gesetzlicher” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,490
- “gesetzlich” frequency rank
- #21,276
- “gesetzlicher” frequency rank
- 26766
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gesetzlich | gesetzlicher |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | gesetzmäßig, dem Gesetz nach | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs gesetzlich |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gesetzlich and gesetzlicher apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. gesetzlich ([ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪç]) and gesetzlicher ([ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪçɐ]) 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) - “gesetzlich” sits inside “gesetzlicher”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26766, 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]. gesetzlicher is at rank #21,276, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɡəˈzɛt͡slɪçɐ].
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 26766, this pair ranks #1,812,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gesetzlich vs gesetzlicher
Shared letters: ceghilstz. Private to "gesetzlich": -. Private to "gesetzlicher": r.
"gesetzlich" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCC · "gesetzlicher" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- gesetzlich ← egsetzlich · geestzlich · gesetlzich · gesettzlich · gesetzilch · gesetzlcih · gesetzlicch · gesetzlichh
- gesetzlicher ← egsetzlicher · geestzlicher · gesetlzicher · gesettzlicher · gesetzilcher · gesetzlciher · gesetzliccher · gesetzlicehr
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gesetzlich" and "gesetzlicher" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gesetzlich" or "gesetzlicher"?
Remembering gesetzlich vs gesetzlicher
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