Which to use
“Funktionär” and “Funktionen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,973
- “Funktionär” frequency rank
- #3,116
- “Funktionen” frequency rank
- 25089
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Funktionär | Funktionen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Person, die mit der Wahrnehmung bestimmter Aufgaben in einer Institution/Organisation (in leitender Funktion) beauftragt ist | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Funktion |
Where the eye mixes Funktionär and Funktionen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. Funktionär and Funktionen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCCVVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Visual trap between Funktionär and Funktionen
A purely visual mix-up. Funktionär ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈnɛːɐ̯]) and Funktionen ([fʊŋkˈt͡si̯oːnən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25089, 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]. Funktionen is at rank #3,116, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fʊŋkˈt͡si̯oːnən].
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 25089, this pair ranks #1,838,308 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Funktionär vs Funktionen
Shared letters: fiknotu. Private to "Funktionär": rä. Private to "Funktionen": e.
"Funktionär" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVC · "Funktionen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Funktionen ← ffunktionen · fnuktionen · fukntionen · funkitonen · funkktionen · funktinoen · funktioenn · funktionenn
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Funktionär" for "Funktionen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Funktionär" or "Funktionen" show up more?
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 "Funktionär" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Funktionen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,838,308 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Funktionär" and "Funktionen" 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 #1,838,308 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.