ÖffnungvsÖffnungenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,619
“Öffnung” frequency rank
#22,233
“Öffnungen” frequency rank
28852
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Öffnung Öffnungen
Definition nicht verschlossener Bereich eines Gegenstandes Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Öffnung

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Öffnung
9 ch
Öffnungen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Öffnung ([ˈœfnʊŋ]) and Öffnungen ([ˈœfnʊŋən]) 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) - “Öffnung” sits inside “Öffnungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28852, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Öffnung is recorded at frequency rank #6,619, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈœfnʊŋ]. Öffnungen is at rank #22,233, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈœfnʊŋən].

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 28852, this pair ranks #1,777,416 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Öffnung vs Öffnungen

Shared letters: fgnuö. Private to "Öffnung": -. Private to "Öffnungen": e.

"Öffnung" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "Öffnungen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

Öffnung#6,619
Öffnungen#22,233

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Öffnung" and "Öffnungen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈœfnʊŋ] versus [ˈœfnʊŋən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Öffnung" or "Öffnungen"?
"Öffnung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,619 in our German list, against #22,233 for "Öffnungen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Öffnung vs Öffnungen

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 “Öffnung” 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