überkommtvsübernimmtConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#47,899
“überkommt” frequency rank
#3,166
“übernimmt” frequency rank
51065
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature überkommt übernimmt
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs überkommen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs übernehmen

Where the eye mixes überkommt and übernimmt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. überkommt and übernimmt follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCVCCVCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

9 ch
überkommt
9 ch
übernimmt

Look-alike desk: überkommt vs übernimmt

A purely visual mix-up. überkommt ([ˌyːbɐˈkɔmt]) and übernimmt ([ˌyːbɐˈnɪmt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51065, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

überkommt is recorded at frequency rank #47,899, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈkɔmt]. übernimmt is at rank #3,166, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈnɪmt].

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 51065, this pair ranks #1,149,864 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of überkommt vs übernimmt

Shared letters: bemrtü. Private to "überkommt": ko. Private to "übernimmt": in.

"überkommt" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCCC  ·  "übernimmt" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "überkommt" and "übernimmt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˌyːbɐˈkɔmt] versus [ˌyːbɐˈnɪmt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "überkommt" vs "übernimmt" - which ranks higher?
"übernimmt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,166 in our German list, against #47,899 for "überkommt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "überkommt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "übernimmt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,149,864 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "überkommt" and "übernimmt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übernimmt vs unternimmt". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,149,864 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list