Which to use
“überzeugen” is a verb and “überzeugend” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,423
- “überzeugen” frequency rank
- #8,497
- “überzeugend” frequency rank
- 10920
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überzeugen | überzeugend |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem die Richtigkeit glaubhaft machen | so, dass jemand glaubt, dass etwas wahr ist: einleuchtend, glaubhaft |
Where the eye mixes überzeugen and überzeugend
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. überzeugen runs 10 letters (VCVCCVVCVC) against überzeugend's 11 (VCVCCVVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: überzeugen vs überzeugend
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: überzeugen is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡŋ̍] while überzeugend is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡn̩t]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “überzeugen” sits inside “überzeugend”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10920, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überzeugen is recorded at frequency rank #2,423, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡŋ̍]. überzeugend is at rank #8,497, tagged as anadj, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡn̩t].
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 10920, this pair ranks #1,972,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of überzeugen vs überzeugend
Shared letters: begnruzü. Private to "überzeugen": -. Private to "überzeugend": d.
"überzeugen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVC · "überzeugend" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "überzeugen" for "überzeugend" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "überzeugen" or "überzeugend" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "überzeugen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "überzeugend" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,972,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überzeugen" and "überzeugend" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überzeugend vs überzeugendes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,972,631 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.