Which to use
“tatsächlich” and “tatsächliche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #678
- “tatsächlich” frequency rank
- #7,997
- “tatsächliche” frequency rank
- 8675
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tatsächlich | tatsächliche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (manchmal auch wider Erwarten) wahrheitsgemäß, wirklich | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs tatsächlich |
Where the eye mixes tatsächlich and tatsächliche
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. tatsächlich runs 11 letters (CVCCVCCCVCC) against tatsächliche's 12 (CVCCVCCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: tatsächlich vs tatsächliche
A purely visual mix-up. tatsächlich ([ˈtaːtˌzɛçlɪç]) and tatsächliche ([ˈtaːtˌzɛçlɪçə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “tatsächlich” sits inside “tatsächliche”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8675, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tatsächlich is recorded at frequency rank #678, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈtaːtˌzɛçlɪç]. tatsächliche is at rank #7,997, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈtaːtˌzɛçlɪçə].
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 8675, this pair ranks #1,983,330 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tatsächlich vs tatsächliche
Shared letters: achilstä. Private to "tatsächlich": -. Private to "tatsächliche": e.
"tatsächlich" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVCC · "tatsächliche" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "tatsächlich" and "tatsächliche" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "tatsächlich" or "tatsächliche" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tatsächlich" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tatsächliche" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,983,330 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tatsächlich" and "tatsächliche" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tatsächliche vs tatsächlicher". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,983,330 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.