Which to use
“übernehmen” and “übernommen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,688
- “übernehmen” frequency rank
- #2,008
- “übernommen” frequency rank
- 3696
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übernehmen | übernommen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sich etwas von jemandem nehmen, zu eigen machen; jemandem etwas wegnehmen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs übernehmen |
Where the eye mixes übernehmen and übernommen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. übernehmen and übernommen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCVCCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses übernehmen with übernommen
A purely visual mix-up. übernehmen ([yːbɐˈneːmən]) and übernommen ([ˈyːbɐˌnɔmən]) 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 3696, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übernehmen is recorded at frequency rank #1,688, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈneːmən]. übernommen is at rank #2,008, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈyːbɐˌnɔmən].
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 3696, this pair ranks #1,999,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übernehmen vs übernommen
Shared letters: bemnrü. Private to "übernehmen": h. Private to "übernommen": o.
"übernehmen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC · "übernommen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "übernehmen" and "übernommen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "übernehmen" or "übernommen"?
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 "übernehmen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "übernommen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,999,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übernehmen" and "übernommen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übernommen vs übernommene". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,999,604 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.