Which to use
“tätig” is an adjective and “tätigen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,181
- “tätig” frequency rank
- #8,799
- “tätigen” frequency rank
- 10980
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | tätig | tätigen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | handelnd, etwas Praktisches tuend | etwas in die Tat umsetzen, eine bestimmte Handlung vollziehen |
Where the eye mixes tätig and tätigen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. tätig runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against tätigen's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between tätig and tätigen
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: tätig is [ˈtɛːtɪç] while tätigen is [ˈtɛːtɪɡn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “tätig” sits inside “tätigen”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10980, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
tätig is recorded at frequency rank #2,181, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈtɛːtɪç]. tätigen is at rank #8,799, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtɛːtɪɡn̩].
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 10980, this pair ranks #1,972,308 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of tätig vs tätigen
Shared letters: gitä. Private to "tätig": -. Private to "tätigen": en.
"tätig" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "tätigen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "tätig" and "tätigen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "tätig" vs "tätigen" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "tätig" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "tätigen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,972,308 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "tätig" and "tätigen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tätigen vs tätiger". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,972,308 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.