benutzvsbenutzenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“benutz” and “benutzen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#21,904
“benutz” frequency rank
#1,803
“benutzen” frequency rank
23707
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature benutz benutzen
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs benutzen verwenden, ausnutzen, zum Vorteil anwenden, brauchen, gebrauchen, nutzbar machen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set benutz and benutzen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
benutz
8 ch
benutzen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. benutz ([bəˈnʊt͡s]) and benutzen ([bəˈnʊt͡sn̩]) 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) - “benutz” sits inside “benutzen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23707, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

benutz is recorded at frequency rank #21,904, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈnʊt͡s]. benutzen is at rank #1,803, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈnʊt͡sn̩].

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 23707, this pair ranks #1,857,710 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of benutz vs benutzen

Shared letters: bentuz. Private to "benutz": -. Private to "benutzen": -.

"benutz" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC  ·  "benutzen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • benutzbbenutz · bennutz · bentuz · benutzz · benuzt · beuntz · bneutz · ebnutz
  • benutzenbbenutzen · bennutzen · bentuzen · benutezn · benuttzen · benutzenn · benutzne · benutzzen

Frequency comparison

benutz#21,904
benutzen#1,803

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "benutz" and "benutzen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈnʊt͡s] versus [bəˈnʊt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "benutz" or "benutzen"?
"benutzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,803 in our German list, against #21,904 for "benutz". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering benutz vs benutzen

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 “benutz” 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