fünftvsfunktWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: fünft is a num, funkt is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“fünft” is a num and “funkt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#41,828
“fünft” frequency rank
#45,288
“funkt” frequency rank
87116
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fünft funkt
Definition mit mit einer Gruppe aus fünf Individuen etwas machen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs funken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fünft and funkt apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
fünft
5 ch
funkt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fünft is [fʏnft] while funkt is [fʊŋkt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 87116, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fünft is recorded at frequency rank #41,828, classified as anum, pronounced [fʏnft]. funkt is at rank #45,288, tagged as averb, pronounced [fʊŋkt].

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 87116, this pair ranks #84,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of fünft vs funkt

Shared letters: fnt. Private to "fünft": ü. Private to "funkt": ku.

"fünft" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "funkt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • funktffunkt · fnukt · fuknt · funkkt · funktt · funnkt · funtk · ufnkt

Frequency comparison

fünft#41,828
funkt#45,288

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fünft" and "funkt" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "fünft" is a num and "funkt" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "fünft" or "funkt"?
"fünft" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #41,828 in our German list, against #45,288 for "funkt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fünft vs funkt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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