LehrgängevsLehrlingeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#29,219
“Lehrgänge” frequency rank
#20,990
“Lehrlinge” frequency rank
50209
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Lehrgänge Lehrlinge
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Lehrgang Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Lehrling

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Lehrgänge and Lehrlinge apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Lehrgänge
9 ch
Lehrlinge

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Lehrgänge ([ˈleːɐ̯ˌɡɛŋə]) and Lehrlinge ([ˈleːɐ̯lɪŋə]) 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 50209, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Lehrgänge is recorded at frequency rank #29,219, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈleːɐ̯ˌɡɛŋə]. Lehrlinge is at rank #20,990, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈleːɐ̯lɪŋə].

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 50209, this pair ranks #1,182,437 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Lehrgänge vs Lehrlinge

Shared letters: eghlnr. Private to "Lehrgänge": ä. Private to "Lehrlinge": i.

"Lehrgänge" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCCV  ·  "Lehrlinge" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Lehrlingeelhrlinge · lehhrlinge · lehlringe · lehrilnge · lehrligne · lehrlineg · lehrlingge · lehrlinnge

Frequency comparison

Lehrgänge#29,219
Lehrlinge#20,990

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Lehrgänge" and "Lehrlinge" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈleːɐ̯ˌɡɛŋə] versus [ˈleːɐ̯lɪŋə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Lehrgänge" or "Lehrlinge"?
"Lehrlinge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,990 in our German list, against #29,219 for "Lehrgänge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Lehrgänge vs Lehrlinge

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 “Lehrgänge” 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