teilenvstilgenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,023
“teilen” frequency rank
#29,367
“tilgen” frequency rank
30390
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature teilen tilgen
Definition ein Ganzes in Bestandteile zerlegen geliehenes Geld (oder allgemein Schulden) wieder zurückzahlen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set teilen and tilgen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
teilen
6 ch
tilgen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. teilen ([ˈtaɪ̯lən]) and tilgen ([ˈtɪlɡn̩]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30390, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

teilen is recorded at frequency rank #1,023, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈtaɪ̯lən]. tilgen is at rank #29,367, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtɪlɡn̩].

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 30390, this pair ranks #1,748,836 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of teilen vs tilgen

Shared letters: eilnt. Private to "teilen": -. Private to "tilgen": g.

"teilen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC  ·  "tilgen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • teilenetilen · teieln · teilenn · teillen · teilne · telien · tielen · tteilen
  • tilgenitlgen · tiglen · tilegn · tilgenn · tilggen · tilgne · tillgen · tligen

Frequency comparison

teilen#1,023
tilgen#29,367

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "teilen" and "tilgen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtaɪ̯lən] versus [ˈtɪlɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "teilen" or "tilgen"?
"teilen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,023 in our German list, against #29,367 for "tilgen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering teilen vs tilgen

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 “teilen” 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