sicherenvssicherstenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,737
“sicheren” frequency rank
#22,892
“sichersten” frequency rank
27629
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sicheren sichersten
Definition Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs sicher Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Superlativs des Adjektivs sicher

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sicheren and sichersten apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
sicheren
10 ch
sichersten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sicheren ([ˈzɪçəʁən]) and sichersten ([ˈzɪçɐstn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27629, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sicheren is recorded at frequency rank #4,737, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈzɪçəʁən]. sichersten is at rank #22,892, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈzɪçɐstn̩].

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 27629, this pair ranks #1,798,638 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of sicheren vs sichersten

Shared letters: cehinrs. Private to "sicheren": -. Private to "sichersten": t.

"sicheren" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "sichersten" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sicherenischeren · sciheren · siccheren · sicehren · sicheern · sicherenn · sicherne · sicherren
  • sicherstenischersten · scihersten · sicchersten · sicehrsten · sicherrsten · sichersetn · sicherssten · sicherstenn

Frequency comparison

sicheren#4,737
sichersten#22,892

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sicheren" and "sichersten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈzɪçəʁən] versus [ˈzɪçɐstn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sicheren" or "sichersten"?
"sicheren" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,737 in our German list, against #22,892 for "sichersten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sicheren vs sichersten

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 “sicheren” 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