AbstandvsAbständenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,010
“Abstand” frequency rank
#11,161
“Abständen” frequency rank
13171
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Abstand Abständen
Definition räumlicher oder zeitlicher Zwischenraum, räumliche Entfernung zwischen zwei Punkten, Zeitabschnitt zwischen zwei Zeitpunkten auch im übertragenen Sinn Dativ Plural des Substantivs Abstand

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Abstand
9 ch
Abständen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Abstand ([ˈapˌʃtant]) and Abständen ([ˈapˌʃtɛndn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13171, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Abstand is recorded at frequency rank #2,010, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌʃtant]. Abständen is at rank #11,161, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌʃtɛndn̩].

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 13171, this pair ranks #1,959,676 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Abstand vs Abständen

Shared letters: abdnst. Private to "Abstand": -. Private to "Abständen": .

"Abstand" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "Abständen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Abstandabbstand · absatnd · absstand · abstadn · abstandd · abstannd · abstnad · absttand

Frequency comparison

Abstand#2,010
Abständen#11,161

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Abstand" and "Abständen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌʃtant] versus [ˈapˌʃtɛndn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Abstand" or "Abständen"?
"Abstand" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,010 in our German list, against #11,161 for "Abständen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Abstand vs Abständen

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 “Abstand” 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