impfenvsImpfungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: impfen is a verb, Impfung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“impfen” is a verb and “Impfung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#17,037
“impfen” frequency rank
#11,069
“Impfung” frequency rank
28106
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature impfen Impfung
Definition mit einer Impfung gegen Krankheiten schützen Verabreichung eines biologisch oder gentechnisch hergestellten Antigens, meist bestehend aus Protein- oder Erbgutbruchstücken oder abgetöteten beziehungsweise abgeschwächten Erregern zur Erzeugung einer Immunität gegen eine Infektionskrankheit durch die Bildung von Antikörpern und spezialisierten T-Helferzellen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
impfen
7 ch
Impfung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

impfen and Impfung form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28106, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

impfen is recorded at frequency rank #17,037, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɪmp͡fn̩]. Impfung is at rank #11,069, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɪmp͡fʊŋ].

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 28106, this pair ranks #1,790,452 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

impfen#17,037
Impfung#11,069

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "impfen" and "Impfung" be used interchangeably?
No, "impfen" and "Impfung" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering impfen vs Impfung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “impfen”; for a noun, it's “Impfung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “impfen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list