lebendesvslebendigWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,647
“lebendes” frequency rank
#5,618
“lebendig” frequency rank
43265
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lebendes lebendig
Definition Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs lebend lebend, am Leben, nicht tot

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lebendes and lebendig apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
lebendes
8 ch
lebendig

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lebendes ([ˈleːbn̩dəs]) and lebendig ([leˈbɛndɪç]) 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 43265, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lebendes is recorded at frequency rank #37,647, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈleːbn̩dəs]. lebendig is at rank #5,618, tagged as anadj, pronounced [leˈbɛndɪç].

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 43265, this pair ranks #1,423,533 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lebendes vs lebendig

Shared letters: bdeln. Private to "lebendes": s. Private to "lebendig": gi.

"lebendes" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "lebendig" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lebendeselbendes · lbeendes · lebbendes · lebednes · lebenddes · lebendess · lebendse · lebeneds
  • lebendigelbendig · lbeendig · lebbendig · lebednig · lebenddig · lebendgi · lebendigg · lebenidg

Frequency comparison

lebendes#37,647
lebendig#5,618

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lebendes" and "lebendig" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈleːbn̩dəs] versus [leˈbɛndɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lebendes" or "lebendig"?
"lebendig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,618 in our German list, against #37,647 for "lebendes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lebendes vs lebendig

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 “lebendes” 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