EntfernungvsEntfernungenWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#3,434
“Entfernung” frequency rank
#20,232
“Entfernungen” frequency rank
23666
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Entfernung Entfernungen
Definition die Distanz, die Länge einer Strecke zwischen zwei Punkten Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Entfernung

Where the eye mixes Entfernung and Entfernungen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. Entfernung runs 10 letters (VCCCVCCVCC) against Entfernungen's 12 (VCCCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

10 ch
Entfernung
12 ch
Entfernungen

Why the eye confuses Entfernung with Entfernungen

A purely visual mix-up. Entfernung ([ɛntˈfɛʁnʊŋ]) and Entfernungen ([ɛntˈfɛʁnʊŋən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “Entfernung” sits inside “Entfernungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23666, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Entfernung is recorded at frequency rank #3,434, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛntˈfɛʁnʊŋ]. Entfernungen is at rank #20,232, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛntˈfɛʁnʊŋən].

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 23666, this pair ranks #1,858,251 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Entfernung vs Entfernungen

Shared letters: efgnrtu. Private to "Entfernung": -. Private to "Entfernungen": -.

"Entfernung" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCC  ·  "Entfernungen" · 12 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Entfernung ← enfternung · enntfernung · entefrnung · entfenrung · entfernnug · entfernnung · entfernugn · entfernungg
  • Entfernungen ← enfternungen · enntfernungen · entefrnungen · entfenrungen · entfernnugen · entfernnungen · entfernugnen · entfernunegn

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Entfernung" and "Entfernungen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈfɛʁnʊŋ] versus [ɛntˈfɛʁnʊŋən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Entfernung" or "Entfernungen"?
"Entfernung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,434 in our German list, against #20,232 for "Entfernungen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Entfernung" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Entfernungen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,858,251 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Entfernung" and "Entfernungen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Entfernung vs Entwarnung". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,858,251 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list