Which to use
“bedeuten” is a verb and “Bedeutung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,487
- “bedeuten” frequency rank
- #900
- “Bedeutung” frequency rank
- 3387
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bedeuten | Bedeutung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas heißen, etwas bezeichnen | Sinn einer Information, Handlung oder Sache |
Where the eye mixes bedeuten and Bedeutung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. bedeuten runs 8 letters (CVCVVCVC) against Bedeutung's 9 (CVCVVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses bedeuten with Bedeutung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bedeuten is [bəˈdɔɪ̯tn̩] while Bedeutung is [bəˈdɔɪ̯tʊŋ]. 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 3387, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bedeuten is recorded at frequency rank #2,487, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈdɔɪ̯tn̩]. Bedeutung is at rank #900, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈdɔɪ̯tʊŋ].
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 3387, this pair ranks #2,000,326 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of bedeuten vs Bedeutung
Shared letters: bdentu. Private to "bedeuten": -. Private to "Bedeutung": g.
"bedeuten" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC · "Bedeutung" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bedeuten" and "Bedeutung" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "bedeuten" vs "Bedeutung" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "bedeuten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Bedeutung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,000,326 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bedeuten" and "Bedeutung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bedeuten vs bedeutest". 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 #2,000,326 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.