gültigvsgültigenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,432
“gültig” frequency rank
#9,038
“gültigen” frequency rank
15470
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gültig gültigen
Definition Geltung besitzend Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs gültig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gültig and gültigen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
gültig
8 ch
gültigen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gültig ([ˈɡʏltɪç]) and gültigen ([ˈɡʏltɪɡn̩]) 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) - “gültig” sits inside “gültigen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15470, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gültig is recorded at frequency rank #6,432, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʏltɪç]. gültigen is at rank #9,038, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʏltɪɡn̩].

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 15470, this pair ranks #1,943,624 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of gültig vs gültigen

Shared letters: giltü. Private to "gültig": -. Private to "gültigen": en.

"gültig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "gültigen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

gültig#6,432
gültigen#9,038

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gültig" and "gültigen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʏltɪç] versus [ˈɡʏltɪɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gültig" or "gültigen"?
"gültig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,432 in our German list, against #9,038 for "gültigen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gültig vs gültigen

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 “gültig” 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