Which to use
“gefangen” is a verb and “Gefangenen” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,888
- “gefangen” frequency rank
- #6,064
- “Gefangenen” frequency rank
- 9952
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gefangen | Gefangenen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs fangen | Genitiv Singular der starken Flexion des Substantivs Gefangener |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gefangen and Gefangenen apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: gefangen is [ɡəˈfaŋən] while Gefangenen is [ɡəˈfaŋənən]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “gefangen” sits inside “Gefangenen”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9952, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gefangen is recorded at frequency rank #3,888, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈfaŋən]. Gefangenen is at rank #6,064, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfaŋənən].
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 9952, this pair ranks #1,977,487 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gefangen vs Gefangenen
Shared letters: aefgn. Private to "gefangen": -. Private to "Gefangenen": -.
"gefangen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "Gefangenen" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- gefangen ← egfangen · geafngen · gefagnen · gefanegn · gefangenn · gefanggen · gefangne · gefanngen
- Gefangenen ← egfangenen · geafngenen · gefagnenen · gefanegnen · gefangeenn · gefangenenn · gefangenne · gefangennen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gefangen" and "Gefangenen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gefangen" or "Gefangenen"?
Remembering gefangen vs Gefangenen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “gefangen”; for a noun, it's “Gefangenen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “gefangen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable