funktionierevsfunktionierenWhat's the difference?

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set funktioniere and funktionieren apart are highlighted. They share 12 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

12 ch
funktioniere
13 ch
funktionieren

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

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

  • funktioniereffunktioniere · fnuktioniere · fukntioniere · funkitoniere · funkktioniere · funktinoiere · funktioinere · funktioneire
  • funktionierenffunktionieren · fnuktionieren · fukntionieren · funkitonieren · funkktionieren · funktinoieren · funktioineren · funktioneiren

Frequency comparison

funktioniere#44,622
funktionieren#2,544

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "funktioniere" and "funktionieren" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁə] versus [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "funktioniere" or "funktionieren"?
"funktionieren" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,544 in our German list, against #44,622 for "funktioniere". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering funktioniere vs funktionieren

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “funktioniere” 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