übersetzenvsÜbersetzungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: übersetzen is a verb, Übersetzung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set übersetzen and Übersetzung apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
übersetzen
11 ch
Übersetzung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

übersetzen and Übersetzung form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. 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.

Frequency comparison

übersetzen#8,671
Übersetzung#2,422

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "übersetzen" and "Übersetzung" be used interchangeably?
No, "übersetzen" and "Übersetzung" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering übersetzen vs Übersetzung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “übersetzen”; for a noun, it's “Übersetzung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “übersetzen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list