sämtlichvsseitlichWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#41,487
“sämtlich” frequency rank
#9,261
“seitlich” frequency rank
50748
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sämtlich seitlich
Definition drückt aus, dass alle von einer bestimmten Gruppe gemeint sind an der Seite, auf die Seite hin, von der Seite her

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sämtlich and seitlich apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
sämtlich
8 ch
seitlich

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sämtlich ([ˈzɛmtlɪç]) and seitlich ([ˈzaɪ̯tlɪç]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50748, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sämtlich is recorded at frequency rank #41,487, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈzɛmtlɪç]. seitlich is at rank #9,261, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈzaɪ̯tlɪç].

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 50748, this pair ranks #1,161,987 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sämtlich vs seitlich

Shared letters: chilst. Private to "sämtlich": . Private to "seitlich": e.

"sämtlich" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC  ·  "seitlich" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • seitlichesitlich · seiltich · seitilch · seitlcih · seitlicch · seitlichh · seitlihc · seitllich

Frequency comparison

sämtlich#41,487
seitlich#9,261

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sämtlich" and "seitlich" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈzɛmtlɪç] versus [ˈzaɪ̯tlɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sämtlich" or "seitlich"?
"seitlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,261 in our German list, against #41,487 for "sämtlich". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sämtlich vs seitlich

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 “sämtlich” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list