Which to use
“üble” and “ugly” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,070
- “üble” frequency rank
- #49,317
- “ugly” frequency rank
- 65387
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | üble | ugly |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs übel | unangenehm für das Auge; nicht ästhetisch ansprechend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set üble and ugly apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. üble ([ˈyːblə]) and ugly ([ʌɡli]) 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 65387, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
üble is recorded at frequency rank #16,070, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈyːblə]. ugly is at rank #49,317, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ʌɡli].
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 65387, this pair ranks #608,695 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of üble vs ugly
Shared letters: l. Private to "üble": beü. Private to "ugly": guy.
"üble" · 4 letters · shape VCCV · "ugly" · 4 letters · shape VCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- ugly ← guly · uggly · uglly · uglyy · ugyl · ulgy
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "üble" and "ugly" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "üble" or "ugly"?
Remembering üble vs ugly
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 “üble” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable