intensivvsintensivenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,822
“intensiv” frequency rank
#10,308
“intensiven” frequency rank
14130
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature intensiv intensiven
Definition gründlich, eindringlich, kräftig auf eine bestimmte Sache gerichtet Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs intensiv

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set intensiv and intensiven apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
intensiv
10 ch
intensiven

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. intensiv ([ɪntɛnˈziːf]) and intensiven ([ɪntɛnˈziːvn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “intensiv” sits inside “intensiven”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14130, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

intensiv is recorded at frequency rank #3,822, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɪntɛnˈziːf]. intensiven is at rank #10,308, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɪntɛnˈziːvn̩].

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 14130, this pair ranks #1,953,352 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of intensiv vs intensiven

Shared letters: einstv. Private to "intensiv": -. Private to "intensiven": -.

"intensiv" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "intensiven" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • intensivinetnsiv · inntensiv · intenisv · intennsiv · intensivv · intenssiv · intensvi · intesniv
  • intensiveninetnsiven · inntensiven · intenisven · intennsiven · intensievn · intensivenn · intensivne · intensivven

Frequency comparison

intensiv#3,822
intensiven#10,308

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "intensiv" and "intensiven" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɪntɛnˈziːf] versus [ɪntɛnˈziːvn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "intensiv" or "intensiven"?
"intensiv" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,822 in our German list, against #10,308 for "intensiven". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering intensiv vs intensiven

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 “intensiv” 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