Which to use
“langen” is a verb and “längst” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,204
- “langen” frequency rank
- #1,520
- “längst” frequency rank
- 2724
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | langen | längst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sich einem Gegenstand entgegen strecken, um ihn zu ergreifen | schon lange, seit langem, seit langer/längerer Zeit |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set langen and längst apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: langen is [ˈlaŋən] while längst is [lɛŋst]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2724, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
langen is recorded at frequency rank #1,204, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlaŋən]. längst is at rank #1,520, tagged as anadv, pronounced [lɛŋst].
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 2724, this pair ranks #2,001,727 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of langen vs längst
Shared letters: gln. Private to "langen": ae. Private to "längst": stä.
"langen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "längst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- langen ← alngen · lagnen · lanegn · langenn · langgen · langne · lanngen · llangen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "langen" and "längst" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "langen" or "längst"?
Remembering langen vs längst
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “langen”; for an adverb, it's “längst”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “langen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable