vorsätzlichvsvorsätzlicheWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,462
“vorsätzlich” frequency rank
#35,536
“vorsätzliche” frequency rank
52998
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vorsätzlich vorsätzliche
Definition mit Absicht, Vorsatz Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs vorsätzlich

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vorsätzlich and vorsätzliche apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
vorsätzlich
12 ch
vorsätzliche

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. vorsätzlich ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɛt͡slɪç]) and vorsätzliche ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɛt͡slɪçə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “vorsätzlich” sits inside “vorsätzliche”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52998, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vorsätzlich is recorded at frequency rank #17,462, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɛt͡slɪç]. vorsätzliche is at rank #35,536, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɛt͡slɪçə].

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 52998, this pair ranks #1,075,080 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of vorsätzlich vs vorsätzliche

Shared letters: chilorstvzä. Private to "vorsätzlich": -. Private to "vorsätzliche": e.

"vorsätzlich" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVCC  ·  "vorsätzliche" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVCCV

Frequency comparison

vorsätzlich#17,462
vorsätzliche#35,536

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vorsätzlich" and "vorsätzliche" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɛt͡slɪç] versus [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɛt͡slɪçə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "vorsätzlich" or "vorsätzliche"?
"vorsätzlich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,462 in our German list, against #35,536 for "vorsätzliche". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering vorsätzlich vs vorsätzliche

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 “vorsätzlich” 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