Which to use
“Befürchtung” and “Befürchtungen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,643
- “Befürchtung” frequency rank
- #18,826
- “Befürchtungen” frequency rank
- 35469
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Befürchtung | Befürchtungen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | furchtvolle, schreckliche oder schlimme Erwartung beziehungsweise Annahme | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Befürchtung |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Befürchtung and Befürchtungen apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. Befürchtung ([bəˈfʏʁçtʊŋ]) and Befürchtungen ([bəˈfʏʁçtʊŋən]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Befürchtung” sits inside “Befürchtungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Befürchtung is recorded at frequency rank #16,643, classified as anoun, pronounced [bəˈfʏʁçtʊŋ]. Befürchtungen is at rank #18,826, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈfʏʁçtʊŋən].
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 35469, this pair ranks #1,639,236 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Befürchtung vs Befürchtungen
Shared letters: bcefghnrtuü. Private to "Befürchtung": -. Private to "Befürchtungen": -.
"Befürchtung" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVCC · "Befürchtungen" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Befürchtung" and "Befürchtungen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Befürchtung" or "Befürchtungen"?
Remembering Befürchtung vs Befürchtungen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Befürchtung” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable