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 eye mixes entführen and Entführung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. entführen runs 9 letters (VCCCVCCVC) against Entführung's 10 (VCCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses entführen with Entführung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: entführen is [ɛntˈfyːʁən] while Entführung is [ɛntˈfyːʁʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. 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.
Orthographic DNA of entführen vs Entführung
Shared letters: efhnrtü. Private to "entführen": -. Private to "Entführung": gu.
"entführen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC · "Entführung" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "entführen" and "Entführung" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "entführen" or "Entführung" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "entführen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Entführung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,746,713 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "entführen" and "Entführung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "entbehren vs entführen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,746,713 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.