Which to use
“trocken” is an adjective and “trocknen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,002
- “trocken” frequency rank
- #11,134
- “trocknen” frequency rank
- 15136
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | trocken | trocknen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | frei von Feuchtigkeit oder Nässe | etwas, das nass ist, trocken machen; Feuchtigkeit entziehen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set trocken and trocknen apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: trocken is [ˈtʁɔkn̩] while trocknen is [ˈtʁɔknən]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15136, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
trocken is recorded at frequency rank #4,002, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈtʁɔkn̩]. trocknen is at rank #11,134, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtʁɔknən].
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 15136, this pair ranks #1,946,110 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of trocken vs trocknen
Shared letters: ceknort. Private to "trocken": -. Private to "trocknen": -.
"trocken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "trocknen" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "trocken" and "trocknen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "trocken" or "trocknen"?
Remembering trocken vs trocknen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “trocken”; for a verb, it's “trocknen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “trocken” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable