radikalvsradikalerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,074
“radikal” frequency rank
#21,032
“radikaler” frequency rank
30106
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature radikal radikaler
Definition im Denken und oder Handeln in besonderem Maße von der Norm abweichend Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs radikal

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set radikal and radikaler apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
radikal
9 ch
radikaler

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. radikal ([ʁadiˈkaːl]) and radikaler ([ʁadiˈkaːlɐ]) 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) - “radikal” sits inside “radikaler”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30106, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

radikal is recorded at frequency rank #9,074, classified as anadj, pronounced [ʁadiˈkaːl]. radikaler is at rank #21,032, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ʁadiˈkaːlɐ].

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 30106, this pair ranks #1,754,314 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of radikal vs radikaler

Shared letters: adiklr. Private to "radikal": -. Private to "radikaler": e.

"radikal" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC  ·  "radikaler" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • radikalardikal · raddikal · radiakl · radikall · radikkal · radikla · radkial · raidkal
  • radikalerardikaler · raddikaler · radiakler · radikaelr · radikalerr · radikaller · radikalre · radikkaler

Frequency comparison

radikal#9,074
radikaler#21,032

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "radikal" and "radikaler" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʁadiˈkaːl] versus [ʁadiˈkaːlɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "radikal" or "radikaler"?
"radikal" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,074 in our German list, against #21,032 for "radikaler". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering radikal vs radikaler

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 “radikal” 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