Which to use
“feststellen” is a verb and “Feststellung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,730
- “feststellen” frequency rank
- #7,915
- “Feststellung” frequency rank
- 11645
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feststellen | Feststellung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Sachverhalt ermitteln über den Status Auskunft geben | Aussage, die einen Sachverhalt neutral beschreibt |
Where the eye mixes feststellen and Feststellung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. feststellen runs 11 letters (CVCCCCVCCVC) against Feststellung's 12 (CVCCCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses feststellen with Feststellung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: feststellen is [ˈfɛstˌʃtɛlən] while Feststellung is [ˈfɛstʃtɛlʊŋ]. 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 11645, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feststellen is recorded at frequency rank #3,730, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɛstˌʃtɛlən]. Feststellung is at rank #7,915, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɛstʃtɛlʊŋ].
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 11645, this pair ranks #1,968,713 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of feststellen vs Feststellung
Shared letters: eflnst. Private to "feststellen": -. Private to "Feststellung": gu.
"feststellen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCCVCCVC · "Feststellung" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- feststellen ← efststellen · fesststellen · fessttellen · festsetllen · festsstellen · feststeleln · feststelen · feststellenn
- Feststellung ← efststellung · fesststellung · fessttellung · festsetllung · festsstellung · feststellnug · feststellugn · feststellungg
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "feststellen" and "Feststellung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "feststellen" or "Feststellung"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "feststellen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Feststellung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,968,713 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "feststellen" and "Feststellung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "feststehen vs feststellen". 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 #1,968,713 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.