Which to use
“einfallen” and “entfallen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,287
- “einfallen” frequency rank
- #9,361
- “entfallen” frequency rank
- 15648
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einfallen | entfallen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (unerwünscht oder sogar gewaltsam) eindringen | aus der Hand fallen |
Where the eye mixes einfallen and entfallen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. einfallen (VVCCVCCVC) and entfallen (VCCCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: einfallen vs entfallen
A purely visual mix-up. einfallen ([ˈaɪ̯nˌfalən]) and entfallen ([ɛntˈfalən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15648, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einfallen is recorded at frequency rank #6,287, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nˌfalən]. entfallen is at rank #9,361, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfalən].
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 15648, this pair ranks #1,942,197 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of einfallen vs entfallen
Shared letters: aefln. Private to "einfallen": i. Private to "entfallen": t.
"einfallen" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC · "entfallen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "einfallen" and "entfallen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "einfallen" vs "entfallen" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "einfallen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "entfallen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,942,197 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "einfallen" and "entfallen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "entfachen vs entfallen". 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 #1,942,197 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.