Which to use
“übertragen” is an adjective and “Übertragung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,228
- “übertragen” frequency rank
- #4,583
- “Übertragung” frequency rank
- 6811
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übertragen | Übertragung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein Wort nicht im ursprünglichen Sinne verwendet | Sendung, Übermittlung |
Where the eye mixes übertragen and Übertragung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between übertragen and Übertragung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: übertragen is [ˌyːbɐˈtʁaːɡn̩] while Übertragung is [ˌyːbɐˈtʁaːɡʊŋ]. 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 (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6811, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übertragen is recorded at frequency rank #2,228, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈtʁaːɡn̩]. Übertragung is at rank #4,583, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈtʁaːɡʊŋ].
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 6811, this pair ranks #1,990,377 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übertragen vs Übertragung
Shared letters: abegnrtü. Private to "übertragen": -. Private to "Übertragung": u.
"übertragen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCCVCVC · "Übertragung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCCVCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "übertragen" for "Übertragung" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "übertragen" or "Übertragung" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "übertragen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Übertragung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,990,377 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übertragen" and "Übertragung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übertragene vs Übertragung". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,990,377 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.