Which to use
“binnen” is an adverb and “blinken” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,152
- “binnen” frequency rank
- #28,107
- “blinken” frequency rank
- 33259
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | binnen | blinken |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | innerhalb eines bestimmten Ortes, Gebietes; im Inneren eines Gebäudes, Fahrzeugs; (sich) an der beziehungsweise auf der Innenseite (befindend) | rhythmisch kurze Lichtsignale aussenden |
Where the eye mixes binnen and blinken
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. binnen runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against blinken's 7 (CCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses binnen with blinken
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: binnen is [ˈbɪnən] while blinken is [ˈblɪŋkn̩]. 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 (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33259, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
binnen is recorded at frequency rank #5,152, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈbɪnən]. blinken is at rank #28,107, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈblɪŋkn̩].
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 33259, this pair ranks #1,689,884 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of binnen vs blinken
Shared letters: bein. Private to "binnen": -. Private to "blinken": kl.
"binnen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "blinken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "binnen" for "blinken" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "binnen" or "blinken" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "binnen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "blinken" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,689,884 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "binnen" and "blinken" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "blindes vs blinken". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,689,884 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.