entführenvsEntführungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#18,223
“entführen” frequency rank
#12,272
“Entführung” frequency rank
30495
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entführen Entführung
Definition jemanden (oder etwas in dem sich Personen befinden) heimlich oder gewaltsam wegbringen, verschleppen Entfernung einer Person (oder auch Sache) gegen ihren Willen mit Gewalt/Androhung von Gewalt aus ihrem eigenen Umfeld sowie das Ergebnis einer solchen Handlung

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
entführen
10 ch
Entführung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

entführen and Entführung form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30495, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entführen is recorded at frequency rank #18,223, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈfyːʁən]. Entführung is at rank #12,272, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛntˈfyːʁʊŋ].

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 30495, this pair ranks #1,746,713 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

entführen#18,223
Entführung#12,272

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entführen" and "Entführung" be used interchangeably?
No, "entführen" and "Entführung" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering entführen vs Entführung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “entführen”; for a noun, it's “Entführung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “entführen” 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