abfindenvsabwendenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,148
“abfinden” frequency rank
#18,145
“abwenden” frequency rank
39293
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abfinden abwenden
Definition einen Schaden mittels Gleichwertigem ausgleichen (sich) zur Seite wegdrehen; sich von jemandem zurückziehen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abfinden and abwenden apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
abfinden
8 ch
abwenden

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. abfinden ([ˈapˌfɪndn̩]) and abwenden ([ˈapˌvɛndn̩]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39293, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

abfinden is recorded at frequency rank #21,148, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌfɪndn̩]. abwenden is at rank #18,145, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌvɛndn̩].

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 39293, this pair ranks #1,540,779 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of abfinden vs abwenden

Shared letters: abden. Private to "abfinden": fi. Private to "abwenden": w.

"abfinden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "abwenden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • abfindenabbfinden · abffinden · abfidnen · abfindden · abfindenn · abfindne · abfinedn · abfinnden
  • abwendenabbwenden · abewnden · abwednen · abwendden · abwendenn · abwendne · abwenedn · abwennden

Frequency comparison

abfinden#21,148
abwenden#18,145

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abfinden" and "abwenden" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌfɪndn̩] versus [ˈapˌvɛndn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "abfinden" or "abwenden"?
"abwenden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,145 in our German list, against #21,148 for "abfinden". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering abfinden vs abwenden

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 “abfinden” 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