Which to use
“einführen” and “entführen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,701
- “einführen” frequency rank
- #18,223
- “entführen” frequency rank
- 26924
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einführen | entführen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Ware über eine Grenze in ein Land/Gebiet bringen | jemanden (oder etwas in dem sich Personen befinden) heimlich oder gewaltsam wegbringen, verschleppen |
Where the eye mixes einführen and entführen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. einführen (VVCCVCCVC) and entführen (VCCCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses einführen with entführen
A purely visual mix-up. einführen ([ˈaɪ̯nˌfyːʁən]) and entführen ([ɛntˈfyːʁən]) 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 26924, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einführen is recorded at frequency rank #8,701, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nˌfyːʁən]. entführen is at rank #18,223, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfyːʁən].
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 26924, this pair ranks #1,810,161 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of einführen vs entführen
Shared letters: efhnrü. Private to "einführen": i. Private to "entführen": t.
"einführen" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC · "entführen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "einführen" for "entführen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "einführen" or "entführen" 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 "einführen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "entführen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,810,161 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "einführen" and "entführen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "einführen vs einkehren". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,810,161 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.