Which to use
“übel” is an adjective and “übelst” is a particle - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,225
- “übel” frequency rank
- #34,477
- “übelst” frequency rank
- 37702
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übel | übelst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schlecht, krank, unwohl (seiend) | jugendsprachlich: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set übel and übelst apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: übel is [ˈyːbl̩] while übelst is [ˈyːbl̩st]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “übel” sits inside “übelst”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs particle), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37702, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übel is recorded at frequency rank #3,225, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈyːbl̩]. übelst is at rank #34,477, tagged as aparticle, pronounced [ˈyːbl̩st].
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 37702, this pair ranks #1,583,300 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übel vs übelst
Shared letters: belü. Private to "übel": -. Private to "übelst": st.
"übel" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "übelst" · 6 letters · shape VCVCCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "übel" and "übelst" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "übel" or "übelst"?
Remembering übel vs übelst
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “übel”; for a particle, it's “übelst”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “übel” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable