Which to use
“übertreiben” is a verb and “Übertreibung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,296
- “übertreiben” frequency rank
- #26,719
- “Übertreibung” frequency rank
- 40015
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übertreiben | Übertreibung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Sachverhalt in einer Weise darstellen, dass er mehr einer Eigenschaft besitzt als in Wirklichkeit | übersteigerte Darstellung einer Tatsache |
Where the eye mixes übertreiben and Übertreibung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses übertreiben with Übertreibung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: übertreiben is [yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯bn̩] while Übertreibung is [yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯bʊŋ]. 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 40015, 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]. Übertreibung is at rank #26,719, tagged as anoun, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁaɪ̯bʊŋ].
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 40015, this pair ranks #1,520,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of übertreiben vs Übertreibung
Shared letters: beinrtü. Private to "übertreiben": -. Private to "Übertreibung": gu.
"übertreiben" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCCVVCVC · "Übertreibung" · 12 letters · shape VCVCCCVVCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "übertreiben" for "Übertreibung" ever safe?
Which is more common, "übertreiben" or "Übertreibung"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "übertreiben" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Übertreibung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,520,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übertreiben" and "Übertreibung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Übertreibung vs Übertreibungen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,520,409 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.