GrabenvsGräbernWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,717
“Graben” frequency rank
#23,552
“Gräbern” frequency rank
29269
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Graben Gräbern
Definition länglicher Erdaushub Dativ Plural des Substantivs Grab

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Graben and Gräbern apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Graben
7 ch
Gräbern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Graben ([ˈɡʁaːbn̩]) and Gräbern ([ˈɡʁɛːbɐn]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29269, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Graben is recorded at frequency rank #5,717, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡʁaːbn̩]. Gräbern is at rank #23,552, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡʁɛːbɐn].

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 29269, this pair ranks #1,770,013 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Graben vs Gräbern

Shared letters: begnr. Private to "Graben": a. Private to "Gräbern": ä.

"Graben" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Gräbern" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Grabengarben · ggraben · grabben · grabenn · grabne · graebn · grbaen · grraben

Frequency comparison

Graben#5,717
Gräbern#23,552

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Graben" and "Gräbern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʁaːbn̩] versus [ˈɡʁɛːbɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Graben" or "Gräbern"?
"Graben" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,717 in our German list, against #23,552 for "Gräbern". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Graben vs Gräbern

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 “Graben” 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