Which to use
“ändern” is a verb and “Änderung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,026
- “ändern” frequency rank
- #2,632
- “Änderung” frequency rank
- 3658
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ändern | Änderung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | anders machen | Wechsel eines Zustandes |
Where the eye mixes ändern and Änderung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. ändern runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against Änderung's 8 (VCCVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between ändern and Änderung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ändern is [ˈɛndɐn] while Änderung is [ˈɛndəʁʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 3658, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ändern is recorded at frequency rank #1,026, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐn]. Änderung is at rank #2,632, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛndəʁʊŋ].
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 3658, this pair ranks #1,999,693 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ändern vs Änderung
Shared letters: denrä. Private to "ändern": -. Private to "Änderung": gu.
"ändern" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "Änderung" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ändern" and "Änderung" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "ändern" or "Änderung"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ändern" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Änderung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,999,693 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ändern" and "Änderung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ahnden vs ändern". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,999,693 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.