ProblemvsProblemenWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#381
“Problem” frequency rank
#3,274
“Problemen” frequency rank
3655
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Problem Problemen
Definition schwierige, noch ungelöste Aufgabe Dativ Plural des Substantivs Problem

Where the eye mixes Problem and Problemen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.

7 ch
Problem
9 ch
Problemen

Look-alike desk: Problem vs Problemen

A purely visual mix-up. Problem ([pʁoˈbleːm]) and Problemen ([pʁoˈbleːmən]) 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) - “Problem” sits inside “Problemen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3655, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Problem is recorded at frequency rank #381, classified as anoun, pronounced [pʁoˈbleːm]. Problemen is at rank #3,274, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pʁoˈbleːmən].

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 3655, this pair ranks #1,999,697 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Problem vs Problemen

Shared letters: belmopr. Private to "Problem": -. Private to "Problemen": n.

"Problem" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "Problemen" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Problemporblem · pproblem · prbolem · probblem · probelm · problemm · probllem · problme
  • Problemenporblemen · pproblemen · prbolemen · probblemen · probelmen · probleemn · problemenn · problemmen

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Problem" and "Problemen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([pʁoˈbleːm] versus [pʁoˈbleːmən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Problem" vs "Problemen" - which ranks higher?
"Problem" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #381 in our German list, against #3,274 for "Problemen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Problem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Problemen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,999,697 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Problem" and "Problemen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "probier vs Problem". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,999,697 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list