Which to use
“öffentliche” and “öffentlichen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,687
- “öffentliche” frequency rank
- #1,004
- “öffentlichen” frequency rank
- 2691
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | öffentliche | öffentlichen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs öffentlich | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs öffentlich |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set öffentliche and öffentlichen apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. öffentliche ([ˈœfn̩tlɪçə]) and öffentlichen ([ˈœfn̩tlɪçn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “öffentliche” sits inside “öffentlichen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2691, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
öffentliche is recorded at frequency rank #1,687, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈœfn̩tlɪçə]. öffentlichen is at rank #1,004, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈœfn̩tlɪçn̩].
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 2691, this pair ranks #2,001,790 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of öffentliche vs öffentlichen
Shared letters: cefhilntö. Private to "öffentliche": -. Private to "öffentlichen": -.
"öffentliche" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCV · "öffentlichen" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "öffentliche" and "öffentlichen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "öffentliche" or "öffentlichen"?
Remembering öffentliche vs öffentlichen
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 “öffentliche” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable