günstigenvsgünstigerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,433
“günstigen” frequency rank
#4,438
“günstiger” frequency rank
10871
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature günstigen günstiger
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs günstig Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs günstig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set günstigen and günstiger apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
günstigen
9 ch
günstiger

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. günstigen ([ˈɡʏnstɪɡn̩]) and günstiger ([ˈɡʏnstɪɡɐ]) 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 a single letter - n in “günstigen” becomes r in “günstiger”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10871, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

günstigen is recorded at frequency rank #6,433, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʏnstɪɡn̩]. günstiger is at rank #4,438, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡʏnstɪɡɐ].

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 10871, this pair ranks #1,972,894 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of günstigen vs günstiger

Shared letters: eginstü. Private to "günstigen": -. Private to "günstiger": r.

"günstigen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC  ·  "günstiger" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

günstigen#6,433
günstiger#4,438

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "günstigen" and "günstiger" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʏnstɪɡn̩] versus [ˈɡʏnstɪɡɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "günstigen" or "günstiger"?
"günstiger" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,438 in our German list, against #6,433 for "günstigen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering günstigen vs günstiger

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 “günstigen” 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