Which to use
“funktioniere” and “funktionieren” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,622
- “funktioniere” frequency rank
- #2,544
- “funktionieren” frequency rank
- 47166
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | funktioniere | funktionieren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs funktionieren | vorschriftsmäßig arbeiten |
Where the eye mixes funktioniere and funktionieren
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. funktioniere runs 12 letters (CVCCCVVCVVCV) against funktionieren's 13 (CVCCCVVCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: funktioniere vs funktionieren
A purely visual mix-up. funktioniere ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁə]) and funktionieren ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁən]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “funktioniere” sits inside “funktionieren”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47166, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
funktioniere is recorded at frequency rank #44,622, classified as averb, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁə]. funktionieren is at rank #2,544, tagged as averb, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁən].
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 47166, this pair ranks #1,293,919 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of funktioniere vs funktionieren
Shared letters: efiknortu. Private to "funktioniere": -. Private to "funktionieren": -.
"funktioniere" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVVCV · "funktionieren" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- funktioniere ← ffunktioniere · fnuktioniere · fukntioniere · funkitoniere · funkktioniere · funktinoiere · funktioinere · funktioneire
- funktionieren ← ffunktionieren · fnuktionieren · fukntionieren · funkitonieren · funkktionieren · funktinoieren · funktioineren · funktioneiren
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "funktioniere" and "funktionieren" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "funktioniere" or "funktionieren"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "funktioniere" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "funktionieren" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,293,919 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "funktioniere" and "funktionieren" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "funktioniere vs funktionierten". 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 #1,293,919 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.