Which to use
“entzücken” and “entzünden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,612
- “entzücken” frequency rank
- #28,628
- “entzünden” frequency rank
- 75240
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | entzücken | entzünden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Freude und Begeisterung auslösen | in Brand setzen |
Where the eye mixes entzücken and entzünden
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. entzücken and entzünden follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses entzücken with entzünden
A purely visual mix-up. entzücken ([ɛntˈt͡sʏkn̩]) and entzünden ([ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 75240, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
entzücken is recorded at frequency rank #46,612, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈt͡sʏkn̩]. entzünden is at rank #28,628, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩].
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 75240, this pair ranks #312,958 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of entzücken vs entzünden
Shared letters: entzü. Private to "entzücken": ck. Private to "entzünden": d.
"entzücken" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC · "entzünden" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "entzücken" for "entzünden" ever safe?
Which is more common, "entzücken" or "entzünden"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "entzücken" and "entzünden" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "entzücken" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "entzünden" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #312,958 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "entzücken" and "entzünden" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "entlocken vs entzücken". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #312,958 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.