lenkenvsLenkungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#8,098
“lenken” frequency rank
#26,949
“Lenkung” frequency rank
35047
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lenken Lenkung
Definition an einen bestimmten Ort, an ein Ziel führen die lenkende oder leitende Handlung

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
lenken
7 ch
Lenkung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lenken is [ˈlɛŋkn̩] while Lenkung is [ˈlɛŋkʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35047, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lenken is recorded at frequency rank #8,098, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛŋkn̩]. Lenkung is at rank #26,949, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɛŋkʊŋ].

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 35047, this pair ranks #1,649,307 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lenken vs Lenkung

Shared letters: ekln. Private to "lenken": -. Private to "Lenkung": gu.

"lenken" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Lenkung" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lenkenelnken · leknen · lenekn · lenkenn · lenkken · lenkne · lennken · llenken
  • Lenkungelnkung · leknung · lenkkung · lenknug · lenkugn · lenkungg · lenkunng · lennkung

Frequency comparison

lenken#8,098
Lenkung#26,949

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lenken" and "Lenkung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "lenken" is a verb and "Lenkung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "lenken" or "Lenkung"?
"lenken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,098 in our German list, against #26,949 for "Lenkung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lenken vs Lenkung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “lenken”; for a noun, it's “Lenkung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lenken” 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