Which to use
“achten” is a verb and “Achtung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,378
- “achten” frequency rank
- #2,480
- “Achtung” frequency rank
- 4858
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | achten | Achtung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | auf etwas Acht geben, etwas Beachtung schenken | Respekt, Ehrfurcht und/oder Wertschätzung vor jemandem oder etwas |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set achten and Achtung apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: achten is [ˈaxtn̩] while Achtung is [ˈaxtʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 4858, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
achten is recorded at frequency rank #2,378, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaxtn̩]. Achtung is at rank #2,480, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaxtʊŋ].
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 4858, this pair ranks #1,996,465 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of achten vs Achtung
Shared letters: achnt. Private to "achten": e. Private to "Achtung": gu.
"achten" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC · "Achtung" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "achten" and "Achtung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "achten" or "Achtung"?
Remembering achten vs Achtung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “achten”; for a noun, it's “Achtung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “achten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable