entdeckenvsentzückenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,810
“entdecken” frequency rank
#46,612
“entzücken” frequency rank
50422
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entdecken entzücken
Definition jemanden oder etwas erstmals finden, herausfinden Freude und Begeisterung auslösen

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
entdecken
9 ch
entzücken

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. entdecken ([ɛntˈdɛkn̩]) and entzücken ([ɛntˈt͡sʏkn̩]) 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 50422, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entdecken is recorded at frequency rank #3,810, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈdɛkn̩]. entzücken is at rank #46,612, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈt͡sʏkn̩].

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 50422, this pair ranks #1,174,284 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of entdecken vs entzücken

Shared letters: ceknt. Private to "entdecken": d. Private to "entzücken": .

"entdecken" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "entzücken" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entdeckenendtecken · enntdecken · entdceken · entddecken · entdeccken · entdecekn · entdeckenn · entdeckken

Frequency comparison

entdecken#3,810
entzücken#46,612

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entdecken" and "entzücken" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈdɛkn̩] versus [ɛntˈt͡sʏkn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "entdecken" or "entzücken"?
"entdecken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,810 in our German list, against #46,612 for "entzücken". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering entdecken vs entzücken

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 “entdecken” 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