empfindenvsEmpfindungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: empfinden is a verb, Empfindung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“empfinden” is a verb and “Empfindung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#5,700
“empfinden” frequency rank
#33,557
“Empfindung” frequency rank
39257
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature empfinden Empfindung
Definition mit den menschlichen Sinnen (etwas) wahrnehmen sinnliche Wahrnehmung, körperliches Gefühl

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set empfinden and Empfindung apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
empfinden
10 ch
Empfindung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: empfinden is [ɛmˈp͡fɪndn̩] while Empfindung is [ɛmˈp͡fɪndʊŋ]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39257, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

empfinden is recorded at frequency rank #5,700, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛmˈp͡fɪndn̩]. Empfindung is at rank #33,557, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛmˈp͡fɪndʊŋ].

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 39257, this pair ranks #1,541,702 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of empfinden vs Empfindung

Shared letters: defimnp. Private to "empfinden": -. Private to "Empfindung": gu.

"empfinden" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "Empfindung" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • empfindenemfpinden · emmpfinden · empffinden · empfidnen · empfindden · empfindenn · empfindne · empfinedn
  • Empfindungemfpindung · emmpfindung · empffindung · empfidnung · empfinddung · empfindnug · empfindugn · empfindungg

Frequency comparison

empfinden#5,700
Empfindung#33,557

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "empfinden" and "Empfindung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "empfinden" is a verb and "Empfindung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "empfinden" or "Empfindung"?
"empfinden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,700 in our German list, against #33,557 for "Empfindung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering empfinden vs Empfindung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “empfinden”; for a noun, it's “Empfindung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “empfinden” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list