Which to use
“willkürlich” and “willkürliche” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,206
- “willkürlich” frequency rank
- #26,247
- “willkürliche” frequency rank
- 38453
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | willkürlich | willkürliche |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nur seinem Willen folgend, diktatorisch (Urteile, Entscheidungen) | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs willkürlich |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set willkürlich and willkürliche apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. willkürlich ([ˈvɪlˌkyːɐ̯lɪç]) and willkürliche ([ˈvɪlˌkyːɐ̯lɪçə]) 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) - “willkürlich” sits inside “willkürliche”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38453, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
willkürlich is recorded at frequency rank #12,206, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈvɪlˌkyːɐ̯lɪç]. willkürliche is at rank #26,247, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈvɪlˌkyːɐ̯lɪçə].
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 38453, this pair ranks #1,563,583 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of willkürlich vs willkürliche
Shared letters: chiklrwü. Private to "willkürlich": -. Private to "willkürliche": e.
"willkürlich" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVCC · "willkürliche" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "willkürlich" and "willkürliche" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "willkürlich" or "willkürliche"?
Remembering willkürlich vs willkürliche
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 “willkürlich” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable