FunktionvsFunktionärTell them apart

Which to use

“Funktion” and “Funktionär” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#1,387
“Funktion” frequency rank
#21,973
“Funktionär” frequency rank
23360
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Funktion Funktionär
Definition Aufgabe, Sinn und Zweck Person, die mit der Wahrnehmung bestimmter Aufgaben in einer Institution/Organisation (in leitender Funktion) beauftragt ist

Where the eye mixes Funktion and Funktionär

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. Funktion runs 8 letters (CVCCCVVC) against Funktionär's 10 (CVCCCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
Funktion
10 ch
Funktionär

Why the eye confuses Funktion with Funktionär

A purely visual mix-up. Funktion ([fʊŋkˈt͡si̯oːn]) and Funktionär ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “Funktion” sits inside “Funktionär”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23360, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Funktion is recorded at frequency rank #1,387, classified as anoun, pronounced [fʊŋkˈt͡si̯oːn]. Funktionär is at rank #21,973, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯].

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 23360, this pair ranks #1,862,294 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Funktion vs Funktionär

Shared letters: fiknotu. Private to "Funktion": -. Private to "Funktionär": rä.

"Funktion" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVVC  ·  "Funktionär" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Funktion ← ffunktion · fnuktion · fukntion · funkiton · funkktion · funktino · funktionn · funktoin

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Funktion" and "Funktionär" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([fʊŋkˈt͡si̯oːn] versus [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Funktion" vs "Funktionär" - which ranks higher?
"Funktion" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,387 in our German list, against #21,973 for "Funktionär". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Funktion" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Funktionär" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,862,294 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Funktion" and "Funktionär" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Funktionär vs Funktionären". 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 #1,862,294 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list