Which to use
“übergehen” and “übernehmen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,339
- “übergehen” frequency rank
- #1,688
- “übernehmen” frequency rank
- 18027
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übergehen | übernehmen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | von einem Ort, Zustand zu einem anderen wechseln | sich etwas von jemandem nehmen, zu eigen machen; jemandem etwas wegnehmen |
Where the eye mixes übergehen and übernehmen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. übergehen runs 9 letters (VCVCCVCVC) against übernehmen's 10 (VCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses übergehen with übernehmen
A purely visual mix-up. übergehen ([ˈyːbɐˌɡeːən]) and übernehmen ([yːbɐˈneːmən]) 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 18027, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übergehen is recorded at frequency rank #16,339, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈyːbɐˌɡeːən]. übernehmen is at rank #1,688, tagged as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈneːmən].
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 18027, this pair ranks #1,922,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übergehen vs übernehmen
Shared letters: behnrü. Private to "übergehen": g. Private to "übernehmen": m.
"übergehen" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC · "übernehmen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "übergehen" for "übernehmen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "übergehen" or "übernehmen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "übergehen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "übernehmen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,922,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übergehen" and "übernehmen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übergehen vs überlesen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,922,098 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.