giftigvsgültigWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,599
“giftig” frequency rank
#6,432
“gültig” frequency rank
24031
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature giftig gültig
Definition gesundheitsschädlich, schadstoffhaltig Geltung besitzend

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
giftig
6 ch
gültig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. giftig ([ˈɡɪftɪç]) and gültig ([ˈɡʏltɪç]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24031, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

giftig is recorded at frequency rank #17,599, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡɪftɪç]. gültig is at rank #6,432, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʏltɪç].

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 24031, this pair ranks #1,853,263 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of giftig vs gültig

Shared letters: git. Private to "giftig": f. Private to "gültig": .

"giftig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "gültig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • giftiggfitig · ggiftig · gifftig · gifitg · giftgi · giftigg · gifttig · gitfig

Frequency comparison

giftig#17,599
gültig#6,432

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "giftig" and "gültig" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡɪftɪç] versus [ˈɡʏltɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "giftig" or "gültig"?
"gültig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,432 in our German list, against #17,599 for "giftig". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering giftig vs gültig

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 “giftig” 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