Which to use
“betäuben” is a verb and “Betäubung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #46,525
- “betäuben” frequency rank
- #28,103
- “Betäubung” frequency rank
- 74628
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | betäuben | Betäubung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (für bestimmte Zeit) gegen Empfindungen, insbesondere Schmerz, teilweise oder vollständig unempfindlich machen; taub machen | Handlung, jemanden schmerzunempfindlich zu machen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set betäuben and Betäubung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: betäuben is [bəˈtɔɪ̯bn̩] while Betäubung is [bəˈtɔɪ̯bʊŋ]. 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 74628, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
betäuben is recorded at frequency rank #46,525, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈtɔɪ̯bn̩]. Betäubung is at rank #28,103, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈtɔɪ̯bʊŋ].
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 74628, this pair ranks #328,492 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of betäuben vs Betäubung
Shared letters: bentuä. Private to "betäuben": -. Private to "Betäubung": g.
"betäuben" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC · "Betäubung" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "betäuben" and "Betäubung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "betäuben" or "Betäubung"?
Remembering betäuben vs Betäubung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “betäuben”; for a noun, it's “Betäubung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “betäuben” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable