tickenvstilgenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,723
“ticken” frequency rank
#29,367
“tilgen” frequency rank
48090
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ticken tilgen
Definition „Ticktack“ machen wie eine mechanische Uhr geliehenes Geld (oder allgemein Schulden) wieder zurückzahlen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ticken and tilgen apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
ticken
6 ch
tilgen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ticken ([ˈtɪkn̩]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48090, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ticken is recorded at frequency rank #18,723, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈtɪkn̩]. 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 48090, this pair ranks #1,261,176 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ticken vs tilgen

Shared letters: eint. Private to "ticken": ck. Private to "tilgen": gl.

"ticken" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "tilgen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • tickenitcken · tciken · ticcken · ticekn · tickenn · tickken · tickne · tikcen
  • tilgenitlgen · tiglen · tilegn · tilgenn · tilggen · tilgne · tillgen · tligen

Frequency comparison

ticken#18,723
tilgen#29,367

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ticken" and "tilgen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtɪkn̩] versus [ˈtɪlɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ticken" or "tilgen"?
"ticken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,723 in our German list, against #29,367 for "tilgen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ticken 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 “ticken” 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