Which to use
“aktivieren” is a verb and “Aktivierung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,605
- “aktivieren” frequency rank
- #17,493
- “Aktivierung” frequency rank
- 28098
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aktivieren | Aktivierung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden oder etwas in Bewegung versetzen, zu Handlungen, Tätigkeit veranlassen, in Aktion bringen, im Zustand verändern oder in einen Zustand bringen | die Veranlassung von einer oder mehreren Personen, zu handeln; etwas zum Starten zu bringen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set aktivieren and Aktivierung apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
aktivieren and Aktivierung 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 28098, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aktivieren is recorded at frequency rank #10,605, classified as averb, pronounced [aktiˈviːʁən]. Aktivierung is at rank #17,493, tagged as anoun, pronounced [aktiˈviːʁʊŋ].
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 28098, this pair ranks #1,790,590 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "aktivieren" and "Aktivierung" be used interchangeably?
Remembering aktivieren vs Aktivierung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “aktivieren”; for a noun, it's “Aktivierung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “aktivieren” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable