Which to use
“Nebenwirkung” and “Nebenwirkungen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,932
- “Nebenwirkung” frequency rank
- #8,913
- “Nebenwirkungen” frequency rank
- 44845
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Nebenwirkung | Nebenwirkungen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | unerwünschter oder nicht beabsichtigter, aber schwächerer Effekt, der bei einer medizinischen Behandlung oder durch Medikamente auftreten kann | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Nebenwirkung |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Nebenwirkung and Nebenwirkungen apart are highlighted. They share 12 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. Nebenwirkung ([ˈneːbn̩ˌvɪʁkʊŋ]) and Nebenwirkungen ([ˈneːbn̩ˌvɪʁkʊŋən]) 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) - “Nebenwirkung” sits inside “Nebenwirkungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44845, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Nebenwirkung is recorded at frequency rank #35,932, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈneːbn̩ˌvɪʁkʊŋ]. Nebenwirkungen is at rank #8,913, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈneːbn̩ˌvɪʁkʊŋən].
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 44845, this pair ranks #1,372,849 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Nebenwirkung vs Nebenwirkungen
Shared letters: begiknruw. Private to "Nebenwirkung": -. Private to "Nebenwirkungen": -.
"Nebenwirkung" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCVCC · "Nebenwirkungen" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Nebenwirkung ← enbenwirkung · nbeenwirkung · nebbenwirkung · nebeniwrkung · nebennwirkung · nebenwikrung · nebenwirkkung · nebenwirknug
- Nebenwirkungen ← enbenwirkungen · nbeenwirkungen · nebbenwirkungen · nebeniwrkungen · nebennwirkungen · nebenwikrungen · nebenwirkkungen · nebenwirknugen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Nebenwirkung" and "Nebenwirkungen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Nebenwirkung" or "Nebenwirkungen"?
Remembering Nebenwirkung vs Nebenwirkungen
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 “Nebenwirkung” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable