Which to use
“übersetzen” is a verb and “Übersetzung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,671
- “übersetzen” frequency rank
- #2,422
- “Übersetzung” frequency rank
- 11093
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übersetzen | Übersetzung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in eine andere Sprache übertragen | Übertragung eines Wortes/eines Textes von einer Sprache in eine andere |
Where the eye mixes übersetzen and Übersetzung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. übersetzen runs 10 letters (VCVCCVCCVC) against Übersetzung's 11 (VCVCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between übersetzen and Übersetzung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: übersetzen is [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡sn̩] while Übersetzung is [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡sʊŋ]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11093, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übersetzen is recorded at frequency rank #8,671, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡sn̩]. Übersetzung is at rank #2,422, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡sʊŋ].
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 11093, this pair ranks #1,971,733 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übersetzen vs Übersetzung
Shared letters: benrstzü. Private to "übersetzen": -. Private to "Übersetzung": gu.
"übersetzen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC · "Übersetzung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "übersetzen" and "Übersetzung" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "übersetzen" vs "Übersetzung" - which ranks higher?
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 "übersetzen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Übersetzung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,971,733 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übersetzen" and "Übersetzung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übersetzen vs Übersetzerin". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,971,733 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.