entzündenvsEntzündungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#28,628
“entzünden” frequency rank
#16,132
“Entzündung” frequency rank
44760
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entzünden Entzündung
Definition in Brand setzen Erkrankung eines Körperorgans, die den Symptomenkomplex rubor ^(→ la) (Rötung), calor ^(→ la) (Erwärmung), dolor ^(→ la) Schmerzen) und functio laesa ^(→ la) (gestörte Funktion) umfasst

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entzünden and Entzündung apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
entzünden
10 ch
Entzündung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: entzünden is [ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩] while Entzündung is [ɛntˈt͡sʏndʊŋ]. 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 44760, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entzünden is recorded at frequency rank #28,628, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈt͡sʏndn̩]. Entzündung is at rank #16,132, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛntˈt͡sʏndʊŋ].

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 44760, this pair ranks #1,375,644 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of entzünden vs Entzündung

Shared letters: dentzü. Private to "entzünden": -. Private to "Entzündung": gu.

"entzünden" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "Entzündung" · 10 letters · shape VCCCVCCVCC

Frequency comparison

entzünden#28,628
Entzündung#16,132

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entzünden" and "Entzündung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "entzünden" is a verb and "Entzündung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "entzünden" or "Entzündung"?
"Entzündung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,132 in our German list, against #28,628 for "entzünden". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering entzünden vs Entzündung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “entzünden”; for a noun, it's “Entzündung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “entzünden” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list