Which to use
“trotzdem” is an adverb and “trotzen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #483
- “trotzdem” frequency rank
- #27,523
- “trotzen” frequency rank
- 28006
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | trotzdem | trotzen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dennoch; trotz dieses Umstandes | sich einer Sache widersetzen, etwas die Stirn bieten, entgegentreten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set trotzdem and trotzen apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: trotzdem is [ˈtʁɔt͡sdeːm] while trotzen is [ˈtʁɔt͡sn̩]. 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 (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28006, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
trotzdem is recorded at frequency rank #483, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈtʁɔt͡sdeːm]. trotzen is at rank #27,523, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtʁɔt͡sn̩].
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 28006, this pair ranks #1,792,200 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of trotzdem vs trotzen
Shared letters: eortz. Private to "trotzdem": dm. Private to "trotzen": n.
"trotzdem" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC · "trotzen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "trotzdem" and "trotzen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "trotzdem" or "trotzen"?
Remembering trotzdem vs trotzen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “trotzdem”; for a verb, it's “trotzen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “trotzdem” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable