Which to use
“lächeln” and “lächle” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,734
- “lächeln” frequency rank
- #39,515
- “lächle” frequency rank
- 42249
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lächeln | lächle |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lächeln |
Where the eye mixes lächeln and lächle
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. lächeln runs 7 letters (CVCCVCC) against lächle's 6 (CVCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: lächeln vs lächle
A purely visual mix-up. lächeln ([ˈlɛçl̩n]) and lächle ([ˈlɛçlə]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42249, 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]. lächle is at rank #39,515, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçlə].
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 42249, this pair ranks #1,455,194 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lächeln vs lächle
Shared letters: cehlä. Private to "lächeln": n. Private to "lächle": -.
"lächeln" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "lächle" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lächeln" for "lächle" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lächeln" vs "lächle" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "lächeln" and "lächle" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "lächeln" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lächle" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,455,194 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lächeln" and "lächle" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lächle vs Lacke". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,455,194 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.