körperlichvskörperlichenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,688
“körperlich” frequency rank
#8,094
“körperlichen” frequency rank
14782
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature körperlich körperlichen
Definition den menschlichen oder tierischen Körper betreffend, auf ihn bezogen Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs körperlich

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set körperlich and körperlichen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
körperlich
12 ch
körperlichen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. körperlich ([ˈkœʁpɐlɪç]) and körperlichen ([ˈkœʁpɐlɪçn̩]) 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) - “körperlich” sits inside “körperlichen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14782, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

körperlich is recorded at frequency rank #6,688, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈkœʁpɐlɪç]. körperlichen is at rank #8,094, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkœʁpɐlɪçn̩].

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 14782, this pair ranks #1,948,792 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of körperlich vs körperlichen

Shared letters: cehiklprö. Private to "körperlich": -. Private to "körperlichen": n.

"körperlich" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC  ·  "körperlichen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

körperlich#6,688
körperlichen#8,094

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "körperlich" and "körperlichen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkœʁpɐlɪç] versus [ˈkœʁpɐlɪçn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "körperlich" or "körperlichen"?
"körperlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,688 in our German list, against #8,094 for "körperlichen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering körperlich vs körperlichen

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 “körperlich” 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