Which to use
“übertreiben” and “übertreibt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,296
- “übertreiben” frequency rank
- #26,718
- “übertreibt” frequency rank
- 40014
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übertreiben | übertreibt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Sachverhalt in einer Weise darstellen, dass er mehr einer Eigenschaft besitzt als in Wirklichkeit | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs übertreiben |
Where the eye mixes übertreiben and übertreibt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. übertreiben runs 11 letters (VCVCCCVVCVC) against übertreibt's 10 (VCVCCCVVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses übertreiben with übertreibt
A purely visual mix-up. übertreiben ([yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯bn̩]) and übertreibt ([yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯pt]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40014, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übertreiben is recorded at frequency rank #13,296, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯bn̩]. übertreibt is at rank #26,718, tagged as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯pt].
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 40014, this pair ranks #1,520,447 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übertreiben vs übertreibt
Shared letters: beirtü. Private to "übertreiben": n. Private to "übertreibt": -.
"übertreiben" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCCVVCVC · "übertreibt" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCCVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "übertreiben" for "übertreibt" ever safe?
Frequency check: "übertreiben" vs "übertreibt" - 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 "übertreiben" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "übertreibt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,520,447 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übertreiben" and "übertreibt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übertreibe vs übertreibt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,520,447 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.