überzeugendvsÜberzeugungConfusable pair

Quick tell: überzeugend is a adjective, Überzeugung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“überzeugend” is an adjective and “Überzeugung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#8,497
“überzeugend” frequency rank
#5,054
“Überzeugung” frequency rank
13551
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature überzeugend Überzeugung
Definition so, dass jemand glaubt, dass etwas wahr ist: einleuchtend, glaubhaft gefestigter Glaube, feste Gewissheit, dass etwas richtig ist

Where the eye mixes überzeugend and Überzeugung

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.

11 ch
überzeugend
11 ch
Überzeugung

Visual trap between überzeugend and Überzeugung

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: überzeugend is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡn̩t] while Überzeugung is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13551, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

überzeugend is recorded at frequency rank #8,497, classified as anadj, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡn̩t]. Überzeugung is at rank #5,054, tagged as anoun, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡʊŋ].

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 13551, this pair ranks #1,957,263 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of überzeugend vs Überzeugung

Shared letters: begnruzü. Private to "überzeugend": d. Private to "Überzeugung": -.

"überzeugend" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVCC  ·  "Überzeugung" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "überzeugend" for "Überzeugung" ever safe?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "überzeugend" is an adjective and "Überzeugung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "überzeugend" vs "Überzeugung" - which ranks higher?
"Überzeugung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,054 in our German list, against #8,497 for "überzeugend". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "überzeugend" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Überzeugung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,957,263 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "überzeugend" and "Überzeugung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überzeugend vs überzeugendes". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,957,263 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list