Which to use
“persönlich” and “persönlichen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,305
- “persönlich” frequency rank
- #2,214
- “persönlichen” frequency rank
- 3519
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | persönlich | persönlichen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | von einer Person (direkt) stammend | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs persönlich |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set persönlich and persönlichen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. persönlich ([pɛʁˈzøːnlɪç]) and persönlichen ([pɛʁˈzøːnlɪçn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “persönlich” sits inside “persönlichen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3519, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
persönlich is recorded at frequency rank #1,305, classified as anadj, pronounced [pɛʁˈzøːnlɪç]. persönlichen is at rank #2,214, tagged as anadj, pronounced [pɛʁˈzøːnlɪçn̩].
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 3519, this pair ranks #2,000,030 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of persönlich vs persönlichen
Shared letters: cehilnprsö. Private to "persönlich": -. Private to "persönlichen": -.
"persönlich" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC · "persönlichen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "persönlich" and "persönlichen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "persönlich" or "persönlichen"?
Remembering persönlich vs persönlichen
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 “persönlich” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable