genügevsgenügenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“genüge” and “genügen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#15,896
“genüge” frequency rank
#10,479
“genügen” frequency rank
26375
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature genüge genügen
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs genügen für einen bestimmten Zweck in ausreichendem Maß zur Verfügung stehen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set genüge and genügen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
genüge
7 ch
genügen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. genüge ([ɡəˈnyːɡə]) and genügen ([ɡəˈnyːɡn̩]) 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) - “genüge” sits inside “genügen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26375, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

genüge is recorded at frequency rank #15,896, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈnyːɡə]. genügen is at rank #10,479, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈnyːɡn̩].

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 26375, this pair ranks #1,819,119 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of genüge vs genügen

Shared letters: egnü. Private to "genüge": -. Private to "genügen": -.

"genüge" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV  ·  "genügen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC

Frequency comparison

genüge#15,896
genügen#10,479

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "genüge" and "genügen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈnyːɡə] versus [ɡəˈnyːɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "genüge" or "genügen"?
"genügen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,479 in our German list, against #15,896 for "genüge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering genüge vs genügen

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 “genüge” 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