Which to use
“Lüge” is a noun and “lügen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,372
- “Lüge” frequency rank
- #2,910
- “lügen” frequency rank
- 7282
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Lüge | lügen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | falsche Aussage, mit der andere bewusst getäuscht werden sollen | vorsätzlich nicht die Wahrheit sagen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Lüge and lügen apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: Lüge is [ˈlyːɡə] while lügen is [ˈlyːɡn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “Lüge” sits inside “lügen”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7282, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Lüge is recorded at frequency rank #4,372, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlyːɡə]. lügen is at rank #2,910, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlyːɡn̩].
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 7282, this pair ranks #1,988,749 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Lüge vs lügen
Shared letters: eglü. Private to "Lüge": -. Private to "lügen": n.
"Lüge" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "lügen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Lüge" and "lügen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Lüge" or "lügen"?
Remembering Lüge vs lügen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Lüge”; for a verb, it's “lügen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Lüge” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable