Which to use
“entschuldigen” is a verb and “Entschuldigung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,259
- “entschuldigen” frequency rank
- #4,115
- “Entschuldigung” frequency rank
- 9374
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | entschuldigen | Entschuldigung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | freisprechen von einer Schuld | Äußerung des Bedauerns über einen eigenen Fehler |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entschuldigen and Entschuldigung apart are highlighted. They share 12 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: entschuldigen is [ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡn̩] while Entschuldigung is [ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡʊŋ]. 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 9374, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
entschuldigen is recorded at frequency rank #5,259, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡn̩]. Entschuldigung is at rank #4,115, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡʊŋ].
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 9374, this pair ranks #1,980,257 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of entschuldigen vs Entschuldigung
Shared letters: cdeghilnstu. Private to "entschuldigen": -. Private to "Entschuldigung": -.
"entschuldigen" · 13 letters · shape VCCCCCVCCVCVC · "Entschuldigung" · 14 letters · shape VCCCCCVCCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- entschuldigen ← enntschuldigen · enstchuldigen · entcshuldigen · entscchuldigen · entschhuldigen · entschludigen · entschudligen · entschulddigen
- Entschuldigung ← enntschuldigung · enstchuldigung · entcshuldigung · entscchuldigung · entschhuldigung · entschludigung · entschudligung · entschulddigung
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "entschuldigen" and "Entschuldigung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "entschuldigen" or "Entschuldigung"?
Remembering entschuldigen vs Entschuldigung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “entschuldigen”; for a noun, it's “Entschuldigung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “entschuldigen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable