gutemvsgütigWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,125
“gutem” frequency rank
#36,974
“gütig” frequency rank
41099
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature gutem gütig
Definition Dativ Singular Maskulinum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs gut jemandem freundlich gesinnt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gutem and gütig apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
gutem
5 ch
gütig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. gutem ([ˈɡuːtəm]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41099, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

gutem is recorded at frequency rank #4,125, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡuːtəm]. 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 41099, this pair ranks #1,489,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of gutem vs gütig

Shared letters: gt. Private to "gutem": emu. Private to "gütig": .

"gutem" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "gütig" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • gutemggutem · gtuem · guetm · gutemm · gutme · guttem · ugtem

Frequency comparison

gutem#4,125
gütig#36,974

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "gutem" and "gütig" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡuːtəm] versus [ˈɡyːtɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "gutem" or "gütig"?
"gutem" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,125 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 gutem 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 “gutem” 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