Which to use
“befinden” and “binden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,622
- “befinden” frequency rank
- #6,772
- “binden” frequency rank
- 8394
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | befinden | binden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | irgendwo aufhalten, gegenwärtig sein | durch ein Band zusammenhalten |
Where the eye mixes befinden and binden
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. befinden runs 8 letters (CVCVCCVC) against binden's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: befinden vs binden
A purely visual mix-up. befinden ([bəˈfɪndn̩]) and binden ([ˈbɪndn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8394, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
befinden is recorded at frequency rank #1,622, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈfɪndn̩]. binden is at rank #6,772, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈbɪndn̩].
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 8394, this pair ranks #1,984,466 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of befinden vs binden
Shared letters: bdein. Private to "befinden": f. Private to "binden": -.
"befinden" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "binden" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "befinden" for "binden" ever safe?
Which is more common, "befinden" or "binden"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "befinden" and "binden" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "befinden" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "binden" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,984,466 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "befinden" and "binden" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "binden vs bindende". 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 #1,984,466 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.