variabelvsvariablerConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#21,460
“variabel” frequency rank
#44,320
“variabler” frequency rank
65780
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature variabel variabler
Definition so dass man es leicht abwandeln und variieren kann Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs variabel

Where the eye mixes variabel and variabler

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.

8 ch
variabel
9 ch
variabler

Look-alike desk: variabel vs variabler

A purely visual mix-up. variabel ([vaˈʁi̯aːbl̩]) and variabler ([vaˈʁi̯aːblɐ]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65780, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

variabel is recorded at frequency rank #21,460, classified as anadj, pronounced [vaˈʁi̯aːbl̩]. variabler is at rank #44,320, tagged as anadj, pronounced [vaˈʁi̯aːblɐ].

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 65780, this pair ranks #595,216 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of variabel vs variabler

Shared letters: abeilrv. Private to "variabel": -. Private to "variabler": -.

"variabel" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC  ·  "variabler" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • variabelavriabel · vairabel · varaibel · variabbel · variabell · variaebl · varibael · varriabel
  • variableravriabler · vairabler · varaibler · variabbler · variabelr · variablerr · variabller · variablre

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "variabel" for "variabler" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([vaˈʁi̯aːbl̩] versus [vaˈʁi̯aːblɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary German text, does "variabel" or "variabler" show up more?
"variabel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,460 in our German list, against #44,320 for "variabler". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "variabel" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "variabler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #595,216 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "variabel" and "variabler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Variable vs variabler". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #595,216 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list