dünnvsdünnenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,934
“dünn” frequency rank
#11,414
“dünnen” frequency rank
17348
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature dünn dünnen
Definition von geringer Dicke Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs dünn

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dünn and dünnen apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
dünn
6 ch
dünnen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. dünn ([dʏn]) and dünnen ([ˈdʏnən]) 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) - “dünn” sits inside “dünnen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17348, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

dünn is recorded at frequency rank #5,934, classified as anadj, pronounced [dʏn]. dünnen is at rank #11,414, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈdʏnən].

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 17348, this pair ranks #1,928,178 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of dünn vs dünnen

Shared letters: dnü. Private to "dünn": -. Private to "dünnen": e.

"dünn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "dünnen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Frequency comparison

dünn#5,934
dünnen#11,414

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "dünn" and "dünnen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([dʏn] versus [ˈdʏnən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "dünn" or "dünnen"?
"dünn" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,934 in our German list, against #11,414 for "dünnen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering dünn vs dünnen

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 “dünn” 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