lächelndvslächelstConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#17,066
“lächelnd” frequency rank
#45,437
“lächelst” frequency rank
62503
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lächelnd lächelst
Definition Partizip Präsens des Verbs lächeln 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lächeln

Where the eye mixes lächelnd and lächelst

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. lächelnd and lächelst follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

8 ch
lächelnd
8 ch
lächelst

Look-alike desk: lächelnd vs lächelst

A purely visual mix-up. lächelnd ([ˈlɛçl̩nt]) and lächelst ([ˈlɛçl̩st]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62503, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lächelnd is recorded at frequency rank #17,066, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩nt]. lächelst is at rank #45,437, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩st].

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 62503, this pair ranks #710,502 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lächelnd vs lächelst

Shared letters: cehlä. Private to "lächelnd": dn. Private to "lächelst": st.

"lächelnd" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC  ·  "lächelst" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "lächelnd" for "lächelst" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlɛçl̩nt] versus [ˈlɛçl̩st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "lächelnd" vs "lächelst" - which ranks higher?
"lächelnd" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,066 in our German list, against #45,437 for "lächelst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "lächelnd" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "lächelst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #710,502 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "lächelnd" and "lächelst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lächelst vs lachst". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #710,502 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list