Which to use
“öffentlicher” and “öffentliches” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,032
- “öffentlicher” frequency rank
- #9,842
- “öffentliches” frequency rank
- 15874
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | öffentlicher | öffentliches |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs öffentlich | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs öffentlich |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set öffentlicher and öffentliches 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. öffentlicher ([ˈœfn̩tlɪçɐ]) and öffentliches ([ˈœfn̩tlɪçəs]) 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 - r in “öffentlicher” becomes s in “öffentliches”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15874, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
öffentlicher is recorded at frequency rank #6,032, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈœfn̩tlɪçɐ]. öffentliches is at rank #9,842, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈœfn̩tlɪçəs].
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 15874, this pair ranks #1,940,431 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of öffentlicher vs öffentliches
Shared letters: cefhilntö. Private to "öffentlicher": r. Private to "öffentliches": s.
"öffentlicher" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC · "öffentliches" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "öffentlicher" and "öffentliches" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "öffentlicher" or "öffentliches"?
Remembering öffentlicher vs öffentliches
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 “öffentlicher” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable