Which to use
“öffentlichen” and “öffentlicher” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,004
- “öffentlichen” frequency rank
- #6,032
- “öffentlicher” frequency rank
- 7036
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | öffentlichen | öffentlicher |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs öffentlich | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs öffentlich |
Where the eye mixes öffentlichen and öffentlicher
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. öffentlichen and öffentlicher follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCCCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses öffentlichen with öffentlicher
A purely visual mix-up. öffentlichen ([ˈœfn̩tlɪçn̩]) and öffentlicher ([ˈœfn̩tlɪçɐ]) 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 a single letter - n in “öffentlichen” becomes r in “öffentlicher”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7036, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
öffentlichen is recorded at frequency rank #1,004, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈœfn̩tlɪçn̩]. öffentlicher is at rank #6,032, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈœfn̩tlɪçɐ].
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 7036, this pair ranks #1,989,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of öffentlichen vs öffentlicher
Shared letters: cefhilntö. Private to "öffentlichen": -. Private to "öffentlicher": r.
"öffentlichen" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC · "öffentlicher" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "öffentlichen" for "öffentlicher" ever safe?
Which is more common, "öffentlichen" or "öffentlicher"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "öffentlichen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "öffentlicher" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,989,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "öffentlichen" and "öffentlicher" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "öffentlichem vs öffentlicher". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,989,604 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.