Which to use
“einfällt” and “entfällt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,057
- “einfällt” frequency rank
- #9,707
- “entfällt” frequency rank
- 21764
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einfällt | entfällt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs einfallen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs entfallen |
Where the eye mixes einfällt and entfällt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. einfällt (VVCCVCCC) and entfällt (VCCCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: einfällt vs entfällt
A purely visual mix-up. einfällt ([ˈaɪ̯nfɛlt]) and entfällt ([ɛntˈfɛlt]) 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 21764, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einfällt is recorded at frequency rank #12,057, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nfɛlt]. entfällt is at rank #9,707, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfɛlt].
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 21764, this pair ranks #1,882,442 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of einfällt vs entfällt
Shared letters: eflntä. Private to "einfällt": i. Private to "entfällt": -.
"einfällt" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCCC · "entfällt" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "einfällt" for "entfällt" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "einfällt" or "entfällt" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "einfällt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "entfällt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,882,442 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "einfällt" and "entfällt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Einfälle vs einfällt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,882,442 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.