TeilnahmevsTeilnehmerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,413
“Teilnahme” frequency rank
#1,307
“Teilnehmer” frequency rank
3720
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Teilnahme Teilnehmer
Definition das Beteiligtsein, die Betätigung an etwas, das Mitmachen Person oder Gruppe, die an einem Ereignis oder einer Veranstaltung beteiligt ist

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Teilnahme
10 ch
Teilnehmer

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Teilnahme and Teilnehmer form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3720, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Teilnahme is recorded at frequency rank #2,413, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtaɪ̯lˌnaːmə]. Teilnehmer is at rank #1,307, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈtaɪ̯lˌneːmɐ].

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 3720, this pair ranks #1,999,544 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

Teilnahme#2,413
Teilnehmer#1,307

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Teilnahme" and "Teilnehmer" be used interchangeably?
No, "Teilnahme" and "Teilnehmer" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Teilnahme vs Teilnehmer

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 “Teilnahme” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list