Which to use
“einfachen” is an adjective and “entfachen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,887
- “einfachen” frequency rank
- #37,489
- “entfachen” frequency rank
- 40376
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einfachen | entfachen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs einfach | ein Feuer oder einen Brand entstehen lassen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set einfachen and entfachen apart are highlighted. They share 8 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: einfachen is [ˈaɪ̯nfaxn̩] while entfachen is [ɛntˈfaxn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40376, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einfachen is recorded at frequency rank #2,887, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nfaxn̩]. entfachen is at rank #37,489, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfaxn̩].
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 40376, this pair ranks #1,510,284 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of einfachen vs entfachen
Shared letters: acefhn. Private to "einfachen": i. Private to "entfachen": t.
"einfachen" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC · "entfachen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "einfachen" and "entfachen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "einfachen" or "entfachen"?
Remembering einfachen vs entfachen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “einfachen”; for a verb, it's “entfachen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “einfachen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable