Which to use
“überwinden” is a verb and “Überwindung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #6,135
- “überwinden” frequency rank
- #15,017
- “Überwindung” frequency rank
- 21152
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überwinden | Überwindung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit etwas Schwierigem fertig werden | Anstreben/Erreichen eines gewünschten Ergebnisses trotz hinderlicher Gegebenheiten |
Where the eye mixes überwinden and Überwindung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses überwinden with Überwindung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: überwinden is [yːbɐˈvɪndn̩] while Überwindung is [yːbɐˈvɪndʊŋ]. 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 21152, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überwinden is recorded at frequency rank #6,135, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈvɪndn̩]. Überwindung is at rank #15,017, tagged as anoun, pronounced [yːbɐˈvɪndʊŋ].
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 21152, this pair ranks #1,889,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of überwinden vs Überwindung
Shared letters: bdeinrwü. Private to "überwinden": -. Private to "Überwindung": gu.
"überwinden" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC · "Überwindung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "überwinden" and "Überwindung" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "überwinden" or "Überwindung" show up more?
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 "überwinden" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Überwindung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,889,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überwinden" and "Überwindung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Überlingen vs überwinden". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,889,568 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.