lockernvsLockerungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#23,223
“lockern” frequency rank
#28,293
“Lockerung” frequency rank
51516
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lockern Lockerung
Definition locker machen Aktion, um etwas sehr Festes aufzubrechen oder aufzuheben

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lockern and Lockerung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
lockern
9 ch
Lockerung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lockern is [ˈlɔkɐn] while Lockerung is [ˈlɔkəʁʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 51516, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lockern is recorded at frequency rank #23,223, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɔkɐn]. Lockerung is at rank #28,293, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɔkəʁʊŋ].

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 51516, this pair ranks #1,132,516 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lockern vs Lockerung

Shared letters: ceklnor. Private to "lockern": -. Private to "Lockerung": gu.

"lockern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "Lockerung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lockernlcokern · llockern · locckern · locekrn · lockenr · lockernn · lockerrn · lockkern
  • Lockerunglcokerung · llockerung · locckerung · locekrung · lockernug · lockerrung · lockerugn · lockerungg

Frequency comparison

lockern#23,223
Lockerung#28,293

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lockern" and "Lockerung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "lockern" is a verb and "Lockerung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "lockern" or "Lockerung"?
"lockern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,223 in our German list, against #28,293 for "Lockerung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lockern vs Lockerung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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