Which to use
“herzlich” is an adjective and “herzlichst” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,049
- “herzlich” frequency rank
- #33,639
- “herzlichst” frequency rank
- 36688
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | herzlich | herzlichst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | freundlich gesinnt | (zumindest sprachlich sich) aufs Äußerste zugetan (gebend) |
Where the eye mixes herzlich and herzlichst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. herzlich runs 8 letters (CVCCCVCC) against herzlichst's 10 (CVCCCVCCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: herzlich vs herzlichst
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: herzlich is [ˈhɛʁt͡slɪç] while herzlichst is [ˈhɛʁt͡slɪçst]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “herzlich” sits inside “herzlichst”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36688, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
herzlich is recorded at frequency rank #3,049, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛʁt͡slɪç]. herzlichst is at rank #33,639, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈhɛʁt͡slɪçst].
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 36688, this pair ranks #1,609,211 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of herzlich vs herzlichst
Shared letters: cehilrz. Private to "herzlich": -. Private to "herzlichst": st.
"herzlich" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "herzlichst" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- herzlich ← ehrzlich · herlzich · herrzlich · herzilch · herzlcih · herzlicch · herzlichh · herzlihc
- herzlichst ← ehrzlichst · herlzichst · herrzlichst · herzilchst · herzlcihst · herzlicchst · herzlichhst · herzlichsst
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "herzlich" and "herzlichst" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "herzlich" vs "herzlichst" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "herzlich" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "herzlichst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,609,211 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "herzlich" and "herzlichst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "herzlicher vs herzlichst". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,609,211 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.