Which to use
“auszeichnen” is a verb and “Auszeichnung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20,177
- “auszeichnen” frequency rank
- #4,683
- “Auszeichnung” frequency rank
- 24860
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | auszeichnen | Auszeichnung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden bevorzugt behandeln, indem man ihm/ihr etwas Positives zukommen lässt | das Auszeichnen von Schrift (Hervorheben einzelner Zeichenfolgen), das Zeichnen von (technischen) Zeichnungen ins Reine, das reproduktionsfähige Zeichnen |
Where the eye mixes auszeichnen and Auszeichnung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. auszeichnen runs 11 letters (VVCCVVCCCVC) against Auszeichnung's 12 (VVCCVVCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses auszeichnen with Auszeichnung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: auszeichnen is [ˈaʊ̯sˌt͡saɪ̯çnən] while Auszeichnung is [ˈaʊ̯sˌt͡saɪ̯çnʊŋ]. 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 24860, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
auszeichnen is recorded at frequency rank #20,177, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌt͡saɪ̯çnən]. Auszeichnung is at rank #4,683, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌt͡saɪ̯çnʊŋ].
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 24860, this pair ranks #1,841,602 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of auszeichnen vs Auszeichnung
Shared letters: acehinsuz. Private to "auszeichnen": -. Private to "Auszeichnung": g.
"auszeichnen" · 11 letters · shape VVCCVVCCCVC · "Auszeichnung" · 12 letters · shape VVCCVVCCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- auszeichnen ← asuzeichnen · ausezichnen · ausszeichnen · auszecihnen · auszeicchnen · auszeichenn · auszeichhnen · auszeichnenn
- Auszeichnung ← asuzeichnung · ausezichnung · ausszeichnung · auszecihnung · auszeicchnung · auszeichhnung · auszeichnnug · auszeichnnung
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "auszeichnen" for "Auszeichnung" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "auszeichnen" or "Auszeichnung" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "auszeichnen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Auszeichnung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,841,602 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "auszeichnen" and "Auszeichnung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ausrechnen vs auszeichnen". 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 #1,841,602 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.