SehnsuchtvsSehnsüchteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,878
“Sehnsucht” frequency rank
#37,195
“Sehnsüchte” frequency rank
43073
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Sehnsucht Sehnsüchte
Definition der Drang, der Wunsch nach etwas Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Sehnsucht

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Sehnsucht and Sehnsüchte apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Sehnsucht
10 ch
Sehnsüchte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Sehnsucht ([ˈzeːnˌzʊxt]) and Sehnsüchte ([ˈzeːnˌzʏçtə]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43073, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Sehnsucht is recorded at frequency rank #5,878, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈzeːnˌzʊxt]. Sehnsüchte is at rank #37,195, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈzeːnˌzʏçtə].

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 43073, this pair ranks #1,429,470 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Sehnsucht vs Sehnsüchte

Shared letters: cehnst. Private to "Sehnsucht": u. Private to "Sehnsüchte": ü.

"Sehnsucht" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCCC  ·  "Sehnsüchte" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Sehnsuchteshnsucht · sehhnsucht · sehnnsucht · sehnscuht · sehnssucht · sehnsuccht · sehnsuchht · sehnsuchtt

Frequency comparison

Sehnsucht#5,878
Sehnsüchte#37,195

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Sehnsucht" and "Sehnsüchte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈzeːnˌzʊxt] versus [ˈzeːnˌzʏçtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Sehnsucht" or "Sehnsüchte"?
"Sehnsucht" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,878 in our German list, against #37,195 for "Sehnsüchte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Sehnsucht vs Sehnsüchte

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 “Sehnsucht” 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