gültig vs gütig, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#6,432
“gültig” frequency rank: #36,974
“gütig” frequency rank: 43406
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	gültig	gütig
Definition	Geltung besitzend	jemandem freundlich gesinnt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gültig and gütig apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

gültig

5 ch

gütig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gültig ([ˈɡʏltɪç]) and gütig ([ˈɡyːtɪç]) 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 43406, 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]. gütig is at rank #36,974, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡyːtɪç].

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 43406, this pair ranks #1,419,148 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of gültig vs gütig

Shared letters: gitü. Private to "gültig": l. Private to "gütig": -.

"gültig" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "gütig" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Frequency comparison

gültig#6,432

gütig#36,974

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gültig" and "gütig" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʏltɪç] versus [ˈɡyːtɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "gültig" or "gütig"?

"gültig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,432 in our German list, against #36,974 for "gütig". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering gültig vs gütig

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