RückschlagvsRückschlägeConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#19,702
“Rückschlag” frequency rank
#33,789
“Rückschläge” frequency rank
53491
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Rückschlag Rückschläge
Definition ein (meist entmutigendes) Ereignis, das einen von seinem Ziel entfernt Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Rückschlag

Where the eye mixes Rückschlag and Rückschläge

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.

10 ch
Rückschlag
11 ch
Rückschläge

Look-alike desk: Rückschlag vs Rückschläge

A purely visual mix-up. Rückschlag ([ˈʁʏkˌʃlaːk]) and Rückschläge ([ˈʁʏkˌʃlɛːɡə]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53491, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Rückschlag is recorded at frequency rank #19,702, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁʏkˌʃlaːk]. Rückschläge is at rank #33,789, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈʁʏkˌʃlɛːɡə].

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 53491, this pair ranks #1,055,949 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Rückschlag vs Rückschläge

Shared letters: cghklrsü. Private to "Rückschlag": a. Private to "Rückschläge": .

"Rückschlag" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCCCCVC  ·  "Rückschläge" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCCCCVCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Rückschlag" for "Rückschläge" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʁʏkˌʃlaːk] versus [ˈʁʏkˌʃlɛːɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Rückschlag" or "Rückschläge"?
"Rückschlag" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,702 in our German list, against #33,789 for "Rückschläge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Rückschlag" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Rückschläge" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,055,949 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Rückschlag" and "Rückschläge" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Rückschau vs Rückschlag". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,055,949 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list