supposedly / alleged
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supposedly
Expresses that something is claimed but not proven. The speaker often signals doubt or distance from the statement.
Er hat angeblich im Lotto gewonnen, aber niemand hat den Scheck gesehen.
He supposedly won the lottery, but no one has seen the check.
The word derives from the verb 'angeben' (to claim / to state), which means 'behaupten' (to claim) or 'nennen' (to name / to state). 'Angeblich' (supposedly) therefore describes something that has only been stated, but not confirmed or proven.
Der angebliche Zeuge konnte sich an nichts erinnern.
The alleged witness could not remember anything.
As an adverb, 'angeblich' (supposedly) can appear flexibly in the sentence. It often stands at the beginning of the sentence (with inversion) or in the middle of the sentence to mark the whole statement or part of it as uncertain.
Angeblich will er das Land verlassen.
Supposedly, he wants to leave the country.
The use of 'angeblich' (supposedly) always shows the speaker's distance from the statement. It makes clear that you are only passing on the information and are not sure yourself whether it is true.
Die Firma soll angeblich kurz vor der Pleite stehen.
The company is supposedly on the verge of bankruptcy.
so-called
Sogenannt expresses distance from a term being used: Someone may be called an “expert,” for example, but the speaker may consider the term inappropriate. Angeblich, by contrast, questions whether the claimed quality is true or has actually been proven.
Der angebliche Experte konnte seine Ausbildung nicht nachweisen.
The alleged expert could not provide proof of his training.
Der sogenannte Experte gab uns einen völlig unbrauchbaren Rat.
The so-called expert gave us completely useless advice.
