Which to use
“sehnen” is a verb and “Sühne” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,208
- “sehnen” frequency rank
- #41,488
- “Sühne” frequency rank
- 56696
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sehnen | Sühne |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | den starken Wunsch haben, dass jemand oder etwas da ist | eine Wiedergutmachung, eine Genugtuung, eine Leistung für ein begangenes Unrecht oder ein Verschulden |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sehnen and Sühne apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: sehnen is [ˈzeːnən] while Sühne is [ˈzyːnə]. 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 56696, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sehnen is recorded at frequency rank #15,208, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzeːnən]. Sühne is at rank #41,488, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈzyːnə].
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 56696, this pair ranks #930,139 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of sehnen vs Sühne
Shared letters: ehns. Private to "sehnen": -. Private to "Sühne": ü.
"sehnen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Sühne" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- sehnen ← eshnen · sehhnen · sehnenn · sehnne · sehnnen · senhen · shenen · ssehnen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "sehnen" and "Sühne" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "sehnen" or "Sühne"?
Remembering sehnen vs Sühne
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “sehnen”; for a noun, it's “Sühne”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sehnen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable