Which to use
“heil” and “heilig” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,208
- “heil” frequency rank
- #8,075
- “heilig” frequency rank
- 12283
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | heil | heilig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht zerbrochen; unversehrt; nicht verletzt | göttlich, verehrenswürdig, sehr fromm, geweiht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set heil and heilig apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. heil ([haɪ̯l]) and heilig ([ˈhaɪ̯lɪç]) 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) - “heil” sits inside “heilig”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12283, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
heil is recorded at frequency rank #4,208, classified as anadj, pronounced [haɪ̯l]. heilig is at rank #8,075, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈhaɪ̯lɪç].
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 12283, this pair ranks #1,965,107 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of heil vs heilig
Shared letters: ehil. Private to "heil": -. Private to "heilig": g.
"heil" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "heilig" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "heil" and "heilig" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "heil" or "heilig"?
Remembering heil vs heilig
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 “heil” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable