entfachenvsentfaltenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,489
“entfachen” frequency rank
#10,643
“entfalten” frequency rank
48132
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entfachen entfalten
Definition ein Feuer oder einen Brand entstehen lassen etwas Gefaltetes auspacken

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
entfachen
9 ch
entfalten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. entfachen ([ɛntˈfaxn̩]) and entfalten ([ɛntˈfaltn̩]) 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 48132, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entfachen is recorded at frequency rank #37,489, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfaxn̩]. entfalten is at rank #10,643, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfaltn̩].

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 48132, this pair ranks #1,259,672 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of entfachen vs entfalten

Shared letters: aefnt. Private to "entfachen": ch. Private to "entfalten": l.

"entfachen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "entfalten" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entfachenenftachen · enntfachen · entafchen · entfacchen · entfacehn · entfachenn · entfachhen · entfachne
  • entfaltenenftalten · enntfalten · entaflten · entfaletn · entfallten · entfaltenn · entfaltne · entfaltten

Frequency comparison

entfachen#37,489
entfalten#10,643

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entfachen" and "entfalten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈfaxn̩] versus [ɛntˈfaltn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "entfachen" or "entfalten"?
"entfalten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,643 in our German list, against #37,489 for "entfachen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering entfachen vs entfalten

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 “entfachen” 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