nordöstlichvsnordwestlichWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#26,115
“nordöstlich” frequency rank
#26,555
“nordwestlich” frequency rank
52670
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nordöstlich nordwestlich
Definition auf den Nordosten, auf Nordost bezogen, in der Richtung des Nordostens auf den Nordwesten, auf Nordwest bezogen, in der Richtung des Nordwestens

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set nordöstlich and nordwestlich apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
nordöstlich
12 ch
nordwestlich

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. nordöstlich ([nɔʁtˈʔœstlɪç]) and nordwestlich ([nɔʁtˈvɛstlɪç]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52670, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nordöstlich is recorded at frequency rank #26,115, classified as anadj, pronounced [nɔʁtˈʔœstlɪç]. nordwestlich is at rank #26,555, tagged as anadj, pronounced [nɔʁtˈvɛstlɪç].

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 52670, this pair ranks #1,087,794 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of nordöstlich vs nordwestlich

Shared letters: cdhilnorst. Private to "nordöstlich": ö. Private to "nordwestlich": ew.

"nordöstlich" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVCC  ·  "nordwestlich" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • nordwestlichnnordwestlich · nodrwestlich · norddwestlich · nordewstlich · nordwesltich · nordwesstlich · nordwestilch · nordwestlcih

Frequency comparison

nordöstlich#26,115
nordwestlich#26,555

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nordöstlich" and "nordwestlich" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([nɔʁtˈʔœstlɪç] versus [nɔʁtˈvɛstlɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "nordöstlich" or "nordwestlich"?
"nordöstlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #26,115 in our German list, against #26,555 for "nordwestlich". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nordöstlich vs nordwestlich

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 “nordöstlich” 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