südöstlichvssüdwestlichWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,415
“südöstlich” frequency rank
#27,080
“südwestlich” frequency rank
55495
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature südöstlich südwestlich
Definition auf den Südosten, auf Südost bezogen, in der Richtung des Südostens auf den Südwesten, auf Südwest bezogen; in der Richtung des Südwestens; im Südwesten gelegen, von dort kommend

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set südöstlich and südwestlich apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
südöstlich
11 ch
südwestlich

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. südöstlich ([ˌzyːtˈʔœstlɪç]) and südwestlich ([zyːtˈvɛstlɪç]) 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 55495, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

südöstlich is recorded at frequency rank #28,415, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˌzyːtˈʔœstlɪç]. südwestlich is at rank #27,080, tagged as anadj, pronounced [zyːtˈvɛstlɪç].

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 55495, this pair ranks #977,343 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of südöstlich vs südwestlich

Shared letters: cdhilstü. Private to "südöstlich": ö. Private to "südwestlich": ew.

"südöstlich" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCC  ·  "südwestlich" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVCC

Frequency comparison

südöstlich#28,415
südwestlich#27,080

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "südöstlich" and "südwestlich" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˌzyːtˈʔœstlɪç] versus [zyːtˈvɛstlɪç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "südöstlich" or "südwestlich"?
"südwestlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #27,080 in our German list, against #28,415 for "südöstlich". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering südöstlich vs südwestlich

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 “südöstlich” 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