Which to use
“lächeln” and “lachend” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,734
- “lächeln” frequency rank
- #11,913
- “lachend” frequency rank
- 14647
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lächeln | lachend |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | die Mundwinkel nach oben zu einem Grinsen ziehen und dabei (oft oder selten, je nach Person) den Mund leicht öffnen, wodurch man die Zähne sehen kann | Partizip Präsens des Verbs lachen |
Where the eye mixes lächeln and lachend
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. lächeln and lachend follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: lächeln vs lachend
A purely visual mix-up. lächeln ([ˈlɛçl̩n]) and lachend ([laxn̩t]) 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 14647, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lächeln is recorded at frequency rank #2,734, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩n]. lachend is at rank #11,913, tagged as averb, pronounced [laxn̩t].
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 14647, this pair ranks #1,949,755 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lächeln vs lachend
Shared letters: cehln. Private to "lächeln": ä. Private to "lachend": ad.
"lächeln" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "lachend" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- lachend ← alchend · lacchend · lacehnd · lachedn · lachendd · lachennd · lachhend · lachned
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "lächeln" and "lachend" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "lächeln" or "lachend"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lächeln" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lachend" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,949,755 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lächeln" and "lachend" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lachend vs lachende". 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 #1,949,755 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.