Which to use
“gleich” is an adjective and “gleiche” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #234
- “gleich” frequency rank
- #1,059
- “gleiche” frequency rank
- 1293
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gleich | gleiche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | in jeder Hinsicht einander ähnelnd; so geartet, dass die Eigenschaften zweier Dinge sich wenig beziehungsweise gar nicht unterscheiden | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs gleichen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gleich and gleiche apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gleich is [ɡlaɪ̯ç] while gleiche is [ˈɡlaɪ̯çə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “gleich” sits inside “gleiche”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1293, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gleich is recorded at frequency rank #234, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɡlaɪ̯ç]. gleiche is at rank #1,059, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɡlaɪ̯çə].
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 1293, this pair ranks #2,004,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gleich vs gleiche
Shared letters: ceghil. Private to "gleich": -. Private to "gleiche": -.
"gleich" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCC · "gleiche" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gleich" and "gleiche" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gleich" or "gleiche"?
Remembering gleich vs gleiche
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “gleich”; for a verb, it's “gleiche”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “gleich” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable