Which to use
“ergänzen” is a verb and “Ergänzung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,312
- “ergänzen” frequency rank
- #6,292
- “Ergänzung” frequency rank
- 13604
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ergänzen | Ergänzung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zur Bereicherung hinzufügen | Akt der Hinzufügung fehlender Elemente zur Vervollständigung einer bestehenden Menge |
Where the eye mixes ergänzen and Ergänzung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. ergänzen runs 8 letters (VCCVCCVC) against Ergänzung's 9 (VCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: ergänzen vs Ergänzung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ergänzen is [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sn̩] while Ergänzung is [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sʊŋ]. 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 13604, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ergänzen is recorded at frequency rank #7,312, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sn̩]. Ergänzung is at rank #6,292, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sʊŋ].
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 13604, this pair ranks #1,956,895 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ergänzen vs Ergänzung
Shared letters: egnrzä. Private to "ergänzen": -. Private to "Ergänzung": u.
"ergänzen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "Ergänzung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "ergänzen" and "Ergänzung" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "ergänzen" or "Ergänzung"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ergänzen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Ergänzung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,956,895 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ergänzen" and "Ergänzung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ergänze vs ergänzen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,956,895 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.