entsendenvsEntsetzenConfusable pair

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

Which to use

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

#27,703
“entsenden” frequency rank
#16,689
“Entsetzen” frequency rank
44392
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entsenden Entsetzen
Definition mit einem Auftrag auf den Weg oder in ein Gremium schicken Gefühl des fassungslosen Erschreckens

Where the eye mixes entsenden and Entsetzen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. entsenden and Entsetzen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

9 ch
entsenden
9 ch
Entsetzen

Why the eye confuses entsenden with Entsetzen

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: entsenden is [ɛntˈzɛndn̩] while Entsetzen is [ɛntˈzɛt͡sn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44392, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entsenden is recorded at frequency rank #27,703, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈzɛndn̩]. Entsetzen is at rank #16,689, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛntˈzɛt͡sn̩].

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 44392, this pair ranks #1,387,648 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of entsenden vs Entsetzen

Shared letters: enst. Private to "entsenden": d. Private to "Entsetzen": z.

"entsenden" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "Entsetzen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entsenden ← enntsenden · enstenden · entesnden · entsednen · entsendden · entsendenn · entsendne · entsenedn
  • Entsetzen ← enntsetzen · enstetzen · entestzen · entsetezn · entsettzen · entsetzenn · entsetzne · entsetzzen

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entsenden" and "Entsetzen" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "entsenden" is a verb and "Entsetzen" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "entsenden" or "Entsetzen"?
"Entsetzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,689 in our German list, against #27,703 for "entsenden". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "entsenden" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Entsetzen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,387,648 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "entsenden" and "Entsetzen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "entbinden vs entsenden". 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 #1,387,648 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