Which to use
“abtreiben” is a verb and “Abtreibung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,685
- “abtreiben” frequency rank
- #14,729
- “Abtreibung” frequency rank
- 58414
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | abtreiben | Abtreibung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas oder jemanden, welches oder welcher sich fliegend oder schwimmend bewegt, von einer Richtung ablenken | Eingriff zur gezielten Abtötung und Entfernung eines Embryos beziehungsweise Fötus aus der Gebärmutter |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abtreiben and Abtreibung apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
abtreiben and Abtreibung form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58414, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
abtreiben is recorded at frequency rank #43,685, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌtʁaɪ̯bn̩]. Abtreibung is at rank #14,729, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈapˌtʁaɪ̯bʊŋ].
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 58414, this pair ranks #863,655 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "abtreiben" and "Abtreibung" be used interchangeably?
Remembering abtreiben vs Abtreibung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “abtreiben”; for a noun, it's “Abtreibung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “abtreiben” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable