entbindenvsentzündenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“entbinden” and “entzünden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#48,846
“entbinden” frequency rank
#28,628
“entzünden” frequency rank
77474
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entbinden entzünden
Definition ein Kind zur Welt bringen in Brand setzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entbinden and entzünden apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
entbinden
9 ch
entzünden

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. entbinden ([ɛntˈbɪndn̩]) and entzünden ([ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩]) 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 77474, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entbinden is recorded at frequency rank #48,846, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈbɪndn̩]. entzünden is at rank #28,628, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩].

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 77474, this pair ranks #259,864 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of entbinden vs entzünden

Shared letters: dent. Private to "entbinden": bi. Private to "entzünden": .

"entbinden" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "entzünden" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entbindenenbtinden · enntbinden · entbbinden · entbidnen · entbindden · entbindenn · entbindne · entbinedn

Frequency comparison

entbinden#48,846
entzünden#28,628

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entbinden" and "entzünden" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈbɪndn̩] versus [ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "entbinden" or "entzünden"?
"entzünden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #28,628 in our German list, against #48,846 for "entbinden". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering entbinden vs entzünden

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “entbinden” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list