Which to use
“übertreffen” and “übertroffen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,618
- “übertreffen” frequency rank
- #14,728
- “übertroffen” frequency rank
- 31346
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übertreffen | übertroffen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | über seine persönlichen Leistungen hinausgehen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs übertreffen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set übertreffen and übertroffen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. übertreffen ([yːbɐˈtʁɛfn̩]) and übertroffen ([yːbɐˈtʁɔfn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - e in “übertreffen” becomes o in “übertroffen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31346, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übertreffen is recorded at frequency rank #16,618, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁɛfn̩]. übertroffen is at rank #14,728, tagged as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁɔfn̩].
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 31346, this pair ranks #1,729,961 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übertreffen vs übertroffen
Shared letters: befnrtü. Private to "übertreffen": -. Private to "übertroffen": o.
"übertreffen" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCCVCCVC · "übertroffen" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "übertreffen" and "übertroffen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "übertreffen" or "übertroffen"?
Remembering übertreffen vs übertroffen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “übertreffen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable