Which to use
“aufzeichnen” is a verb and “Aufzeichnung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,478
- “aufzeichnen” frequency rank
- #11,171
- “Aufzeichnung” frequency rank
- 40649
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | aufzeichnen | Aufzeichnung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas auf etwas zeichnen | erklärende, schriftliche Notizen von Erinnerungen |
Where the eye mixes aufzeichnen and Aufzeichnung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. aufzeichnen runs 11 letters (VVCCVVCCCVC) against Aufzeichnung's 12 (VVCCVVCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between aufzeichnen and Aufzeichnung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: aufzeichnen is [ˈaʊ̯fˌt͡saɪ̯çnən] while Aufzeichnung is [ˈaʊ̯fˌt͡saɪ̯çnʊŋ]. 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 40649, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
aufzeichnen is recorded at frequency rank #29,478, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌt͡saɪ̯çnən]. Aufzeichnung is at rank #11,171, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯fˌt͡saɪ̯çnʊŋ].
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 40649, this pair ranks #1,502,364 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of aufzeichnen vs Aufzeichnung
Shared letters: acefhinuz. Private to "aufzeichnen": -. Private to "Aufzeichnung": g.
"aufzeichnen" · 11 letters · shape VVCCVVCCCVC · "Aufzeichnung" · 12 letters · shape VVCCVVCCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- aufzeichnen ← afuzeichnen · aufezichnen · auffzeichnen · aufzecihnen · aufzeicchnen · aufzeichenn · aufzeichhnen · aufzeichnenn
- Aufzeichnung ← afuzeichnung · aufezichnung · auffzeichnung · aufzecihnung · aufzeicchnung · aufzeichhnung · aufzeichnnug · aufzeichnnung
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "aufzeichnen" for "Aufzeichnung" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "aufzeichnen" or "Aufzeichnung" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "aufzeichnen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Aufzeichnung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,502,364 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "aufzeichnen" and "Aufzeichnung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "aufzeichnen vs aufzuzeichnen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,502,364 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.