bergenvsBergungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#3,944
“bergen” frequency rank
#25,068
“Bergung” frequency rank
29012
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature bergen Bergung
Definition transitiv: die Rettung von in Not Befindlichen, Verletzten und die Sicherung von Toten, beispielsweise auf See, in Bergwerken, nach Lawinen oder nach anderen Unglücken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bergen and Bergung apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
bergen
7 ch
Bergung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bergen is [ˈbɛʁɡn̩] while Bergung is [ˈbɛʁɡʊŋ]. 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 29012, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

bergen is recorded at frequency rank #3,944, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈbɛʁɡn̩]. Bergung is at rank #25,068, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈbɛʁɡʊŋ].

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 29012, this pair ranks #1,774,599 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of bergen vs Bergung

Shared letters: begnr. Private to "bergen": -. Private to "Bergung": u.

"bergen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Bergung" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • bergenbbergen · begren · beregn · bergenn · berggen · bergne · berrgen · bregen
  • Bergungbbergung · begrung · berggung · bergnug · bergugn · bergungg · bergunng · berrgung

Frequency comparison

bergen#3,944
Bergung#25,068

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "bergen" and "Bergung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "bergen" is a verb and "Bergung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "bergen" or "Bergung"?
"bergen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,944 in our German list, against #25,068 for "Bergung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering bergen vs Bergung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “bergen”; for a noun, it's “Bergung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bergen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list