Which to use
“gefangen” is a verb and “Gefangener” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,888
- “gefangen” frequency rank
- #23,526
- “Gefangener” frequency rank
- 27414
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gefangen | Gefangener |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs fangen | jemand, der gefangen ist, sich also nicht frei bewegen kann |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gefangen and Gefangener 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 Gefangener is [ɡəˈfaŋənɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “gefangen” sits inside “Gefangener”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27414, 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]. Gefangener is at rank #23,526, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfaŋənɐ].
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 27414, this pair ranks #1,802,145 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of gefangen vs Gefangener
Shared letters: aefgn. Private to "gefangen": -. Private to "Gefangener": r.
"gefangen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "Gefangener" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- gefangen ← egfangen · geafngen · gefagnen · gefanegn · gefangenn · gefanggen · gefangne · gefanngen
- Gefangener ← egfangener · geafngener · gefagnener · gefanegner · gefangeenr · gefangenerr · gefangenner · gefangenre
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gefangen" and "Gefangener" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gefangen" or "Gefangener"?
Remembering gefangen vs Gefangener
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 “Gefangener”.
- 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