Which to use
“enttäuschen” and “enttäuschend” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,405
- “enttäuschen” frequency rank
- #13,812
- “enttäuschend” frequency rank
- 30217
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | enttäuschen | enttäuschend |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Hoffnung, einen Wunsch oder eine Erwartung nicht erfüllen oder zerstören | Partizip Präsens des Verbs enttäuschen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set enttäuschen and enttäuschend apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. enttäuschen ([ɛntˈtɔɪ̯ʃn̩]) and enttäuschend ([ɛntˈtɔɪ̯ʃn̩t]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “enttäuschen” sits inside “enttäuschend”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30217, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
enttäuschen is recorded at frequency rank #16,405, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈtɔɪ̯ʃn̩]. enttäuschend is at rank #13,812, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈtɔɪ̯ʃn̩t].
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 30217, this pair ranks #1,752,147 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of enttäuschen vs enttäuschend
Shared letters: cehnstuä. Private to "enttäuschen": -. Private to "enttäuschend": d.
"enttäuschen" · 11 letters · shape VCCCVVCCCVC · "enttäuschend" · 12 letters · shape VCCCVVCCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "enttäuschen" and "enttäuschend" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "enttäuschen" or "enttäuschend"?
Remembering enttäuschen vs enttäuschend
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 “enttäuschen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable