befriedigenvsBefriedigungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: befriedigen is a verb, Befriedigung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“befriedigen” is a verb and “Befriedigung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#13,318
“befriedigen” frequency rank
#18,183
“Befriedigung” frequency rank
31501
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature befriedigen Befriedigung
Definition die Erwartungen oder Bedürfnisse von jemandem oder etwas erfüllen Handlung, durch die die Wünsche und Ansprüche des Betreffenden erfüllt sind oder werden und Ergebnis dieser Handlung; Zufriedenstellung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set befriedigen and Befriedigung apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
befriedigen
12 ch
Befriedigung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: befriedigen is [bəˈfʁiːdɪɡn̩] while Befriedigung is [bəˈfʁiːdɪɡʊŋ]. 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 31501, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

befriedigen is recorded at frequency rank #13,318, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈfʁiːdɪɡn̩]. Befriedigung is at rank #18,183, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈfʁiːdɪɡʊŋ].

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 31501, this pair ranks #1,726,836 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of befriedigen vs Befriedigung

Shared letters: bdefginr. Private to "befriedigen": -. Private to "Befriedigung": u.

"befriedigen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVVCVCVC  ·  "Befriedigung" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVVCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • befriedigenbbefriedigen · beffriedigen · befiredigen · befreidigen · befrideigen · befrieddigen · befriedgien · befriediegn
  • Befriedigungbbefriedigung · beffriedigung · befiredigung · befreidigung · befrideigung · befrieddigung · befriedgiung · befriediggung

Frequency comparison

befriedigen#13,318
Befriedigung#18,183

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "befriedigen" and "Befriedigung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "befriedigen" is a verb and "Befriedigung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "befriedigen" or "Befriedigung"?
"befriedigen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,318 in our German list, against #18,183 for "Befriedigung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering befriedigen vs Befriedigung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “befriedigen”; for a noun, it's “Befriedigung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “befriedigen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list