entgegensetzenvsentgegenzusetzenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,506
“entgegensetzen” frequency rank
#34,617
“entgegenzusetzen” frequency rank
75123
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entgegensetzen entgegenzusetzen
Definition ein Hindernis gegen etwas/jemanden aufstellen erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs entgegensetzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entgegensetzen and entgegenzusetzen apart are highlighted. They share 14 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

14 ch
entgegensetzen
16 ch
entgegenzusetzen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. entgegensetzen ([ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌzɛt͡sn̩]) and entgegenzusetzen ([ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩t͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75123, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entgegensetzen is recorded at frequency rank #40,506, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌzɛt͡sn̩]. entgegenzusetzen is at rank #34,617, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩t͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩].

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 75123, this pair ranks #315,905 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of entgegensetzen vs entgegenzusetzen

Shared letters: egnstz. Private to "entgegensetzen": -. Private to "entgegenzusetzen": u.

"entgegensetzen" · 14 letters · shape VCCCVCVCCVCCVC  ·  "entgegenzusetzen" · 16 letters · shape VCCCVCVCCVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entgegensetzenengtegensetzen · enntgegensetzen · enteggensetzen · entgeegnsetzen · entgegenestzen · entgegennsetzen · entgegensetezn · entgegensettzen
  • entgegenzusetzenengtegenzusetzen · enntgegenzusetzen · enteggenzusetzen · entgeegnzusetzen · entgegennzusetzen · entgegenuzsetzen · entgegenzsuetzen · entgegenzuestzen

Frequency comparison

entgegensetzen#40,506
entgegenzusetzen#34,617

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entgegensetzen" and "entgegenzusetzen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩ˌzɛt͡sn̩] versus [ɛntˈɡeːɡn̩t͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "entgegensetzen" or "entgegenzusetzen"?
"entgegenzusetzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #34,617 in our German list, against #40,506 for "entgegensetzen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering entgegensetzen vs entgegenzusetzen

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 “entgegensetzen” 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