Which to use
“hängen” and “hängend” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,114
- “hängen” frequency rank
- #43,256
- “hängend” frequency rank
- 45370
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hängen | hängend |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | an einem festen Punkt (durch das Eigengewicht nach unten baumelnd) befestigen | Partizip Präsens des Verbs hängen |
Where the eye mixes hängen and hängend
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. hängen runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against hängend's 7 (CVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between hängen and hängend
A purely visual mix-up. hängen ([ˈhɛŋən]) and hängend ([ˈhɛŋənt]) 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) - “hängen” sits inside “hängend”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45370, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hängen is recorded at frequency rank #2,114, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛŋən]. hängend is at rank #43,256, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛŋənt].
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 45370, this pair ranks #1,355,293 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hängen vs hängend
Shared letters: eghnä. Private to "hängen": -. Private to "hängend": d.
"hängen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "hängend" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hängen" for "hängend" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "hängen" or "hängend" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hängen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hängend" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,355,293 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hängen" and "hängend" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "haltend vs hängend". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,355,293 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.