eigenesvseignenConfusable pair

Quick tell: eigenes is a adjective, eignen is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“eigenes” is an adjective and “eignen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#1,764
“eigenes” frequency rank
#7,034
“eignen” frequency rank
8798
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature eigenes eignen
Definition Nominativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs eigen für einen Einsatz, eine Funktion benötigte Eigenschaften oder Fähigkeiten besitzen

Where the eye mixes eigenes and eignen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

7 ch
eigenes
6 ch
eignen

Why the eye confuses eigenes with eignen

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: eigenes is [ˈaɪ̯ɡənəs] while eignen is [ˈaɪ̯ɡnən]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8798, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

eigenes is recorded at frequency rank #1,764, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯ɡənəs]. eignen is at rank #7,034, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯ɡnən].

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 8798, this pair ranks #1,982,781 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of eigenes vs eignen

Shared letters: egin. Private to "eigenes": s. Private to "eignen": -.

"eigenes" · 7 letters · shape VVCVCVC  ·  "eignen" · 6 letters · shape VVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • eigenesegienes · eiegnes · eigeens · eigeness · eigennes · eigense · eiggenes · eignees
  • eigneneginen · eigenn · eiggnen · eignenn · eignne · eignnen · eingen · iegnen

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "eigenes" and "eignen" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "eigenes" is an adjective and "eignen" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "eigenes" vs "eignen" - which ranks higher?
"eigenes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,764 in our German list, against #7,034 for "eignen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Eye-level mix-up between "eigenes" and "eignen" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "eigenes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "eignen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,982,781 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "eigenes" and "eignen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "eignen vs eignete". 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 #1,982,781 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list