köstlichenvsköstlichesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#32,634
“köstlichen” frequency rank
#49,030
“köstliches” frequency rank
81664
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature köstlichen köstliches
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs köstlich Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs köstlich

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set köstlichen and köstliches apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
köstlichen
10 ch
köstliches

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. köstlichen ([ˈkœstlɪçn̩]) and köstliches ([ˈkœstlɪçəs]) 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 “köstlichen” becomes s in “köstliches”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 81664, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

köstlichen is recorded at frequency rank #32,634, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈkœstlɪçn̩]. köstliches is at rank #49,030, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkœstlɪçəs].

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 81664, this pair ranks #171,501 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of köstlichen vs köstliches

Shared letters: cehiklstö. Private to "köstlichen": n. Private to "köstliches": -.

"köstlichen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC  ·  "köstliches" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

köstlichen#32,634
köstliches#49,030

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "köstlichen" and "köstliches" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkœstlɪçn̩] versus [ˈkœstlɪçəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "köstlichen" or "köstliches"?
"köstlichen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #32,634 in our German list, against #49,030 for "köstliches". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering köstlichen vs köstliches

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 “köstlichen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list