Which to use
“ärgern” is a verb and “Ärgernis” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,316
- “ärgern” frequency rank
- #30,408
- “Ärgernis” frequency rank
- 38724
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ärgern | Ärgernis |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (jemanden) necken, Ärger verursachen | Vorkommnis, das ein negatives Gefühl wie einen kleinen Ärger, eine Verstimmung oder Irritation auslöst |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ärgern and Ärgernis apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
ärgern and Ärgernis 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 2 extra letter(s) - “ärgern” sits inside “Ärgernis” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38724, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ärgern is recorded at frequency rank #8,316, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛʁɡɐn]. Ärgernis is at rank #30,408, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛʁɡɐnɪs].
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 38724, this pair ranks #1,556,297 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ärgern" and "Ärgernis" be used interchangeably?
Remembering ärgern vs Ärgernis
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ärgern”; for a noun, it's “Ärgernis”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ärgern” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable