fortsetzenvsFortsetzungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#9,544
“fortsetzen” frequency rank
#4,509
“Fortsetzung” frequency rank
14053
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fortsetzen Fortsetzung
Definition an etwas, das begonnen wurde, anschließen und weiterführen, weiterverfolgen das Fortsetzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fortsetzen and Fortsetzung apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
fortsetzen
11 ch
Fortsetzung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fortsetzen is [ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sn̩] while Fortsetzung is [ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sʊŋ]. 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 14053, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fortsetzen is recorded at frequency rank #9,544, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sn̩]. Fortsetzung is at rank #4,509, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sʊŋ].

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 14053, this pair ranks #1,953,887 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of fortsetzen vs Fortsetzung

Shared letters: efnorstz. Private to "fortsetzen": -. Private to "Fortsetzung": gu.

"fortsetzen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC  ·  "Fortsetzung" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • fortsetzenffortsetzen · forrtsetzen · forstetzen · fortestzen · fortsetezn · fortsettzen · fortsetzenn · fortsetzne
  • Fortsetzungffortsetzung · forrtsetzung · forstetzung · fortestzung · fortsettzung · fortsetuzng · fortsetznug · fortsetzugn

Frequency comparison

fortsetzen#9,544
Fortsetzung#4,509

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fortsetzen" and "Fortsetzung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "fortsetzen" is a verb and "Fortsetzung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "fortsetzen" or "Fortsetzung"?
"Fortsetzung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,509 in our German list, against #9,544 for "fortsetzen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fortsetzen vs Fortsetzung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “fortsetzen”; for a noun, it's “Fortsetzung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fortsetzen” 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