Which to use
“grundsätzlich” and “grundsätzliche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,452
- “grundsätzlich” frequency rank
- #10,864
- “grundsätzliche” frequency rank
- 12316
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | grundsätzlich | grundsätzliche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | die Grundsätze beziehungsweise die feste Meinung einer Person oder Organisation betreffend und daher wichtig | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs grundsätzlich |
Where the eye mixes grundsätzlich and grundsätzliche
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. grundsätzlich runs 13 letters (CCVCCCVCCCVCC) against grundsätzliche's 14 (CCVCCCVCCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses grundsätzlich with grundsätzliche
A purely visual mix-up. grundsätzlich ([ˈɡʁʊntˌz̥ɛt͡slɪç]) and grundsätzliche ([ˈɡʁʊntˌz̥ɛt͡slɪçə]) 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) - “grundsätzlich” sits inside “grundsätzliche”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12316, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
grundsätzlich is recorded at frequency rank #1,452, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʁʊntˌz̥ɛt͡slɪç]. grundsätzliche is at rank #10,864, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʁʊntˌz̥ɛt͡slɪçə].
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 12316, this pair ranks #1,964,900 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of grundsätzlich vs grundsätzliche
Shared letters: cdghilnrstuzä. Private to "grundsätzlich": -. Private to "grundsätzliche": e.
"grundsätzlich" · 13 letters · shape CCVCCCVCCCVCC · "grundsätzliche" · 14 letters · shape CCVCCCVCCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "grundsätzlich" for "grundsätzliche" ever safe?
Which is more common, "grundsätzlich" or "grundsätzliche"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "grundsätzlich" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "grundsätzliche" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,964,900 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "grundsätzlich" and "grundsätzliche" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "grundsätzliche vs grundsätzlicher". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,964,900 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.