FunktionärvsFunktionärenWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#21,973
“Funktionär” frequency rank
#38,755
“Funktionären” frequency rank
60728
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Funktionär Funktionären
Definition Person, die mit der Wahrnehmung bestimmter Aufgaben in einer Institution/Organisation (in leitender Funktion) beauftragt ist Dativ Plural des Substantivs Funktionär

Where the eye mixes Funktionär and Funktionären

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. Funktionär runs 10 letters (CVCCCVVCVC) against Funktionären's 12 (CVCCCVVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

10 ch
Funktionär
12 ch
Funktionären

Look-alike desk: Funktionär vs Funktionären

A purely visual mix-up. Funktionär ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯]) and Funktionären ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːʁən]) 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) - “Funktionär” sits inside “Funktionären”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60728, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Funktionär is recorded at frequency rank #21,973, classified as anoun, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯]. Funktionären is at rank #38,755, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːʁən].

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 60728, this pair ranks #776,173 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Funktionär vs Funktionären

Shared letters: fiknortuä. Private to "Funktionär": -. Private to "Funktionären": e.

"Funktionär" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVC  ·  "Funktionären" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Funktionär" and "Funktionären" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯] versus [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːʁən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Funktionär" or "Funktionären"?
"Funktionär" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,973 in our German list, against #38,755 for "Funktionären". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Funktionär" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Funktionären" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #776,173 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Funktionär" and "Funktionären" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "funktionalen vs Funktionären". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #776,173 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