gewagtvsgewähltWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,918
“gewagt” frequency rank
#1,036
“gewählt” frequency rank
10954
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gewagt gewählt
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs wagen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs wählen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gewagt and gewählt apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
gewagt
7 ch
gewählt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gewagt ([ɡəˈvaːkt]) and gewählt ([ɡəˈvɛːlt]) 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 10954, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gewagt is recorded at frequency rank #9,918, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈvaːkt]. gewählt is at rank #1,036, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈvɛːlt].

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 10954, this pair ranks #1,972,459 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gewagt vs gewählt

Shared letters: egtw. Private to "gewagt": a. Private to "gewählt": hlä.

"gewagt" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "gewählt" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gewagtegwagt · geawgt · gewaggt · gewagtt · gewatg · gewgat · gewwagt · ggewagt

Frequency comparison

gewagt#9,918
gewählt#1,036

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gewagt" and "gewählt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈvaːkt] versus [ɡəˈvɛːlt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gewagt" or "gewählt"?
"gewählt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,036 in our German list, against #9,918 for "gewagt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gewagt vs gewählt

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 “gewagt” 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