UmverteilungvsUnterteilungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Umverteilung” and “Unterteilung” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#24,960
“Umverteilung” frequency rank
#31,328
“Unterteilung” frequency rank
56288
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Umverteilung Unterteilung
Definition Übertragung von etwas (Arbeit, Kapital, Steuerbelastung, ...) auf andere Adressaten/Zielpersonen, neue Verteilung logische oder physische Gliederung in verschiedene Teile (Einheiten)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Umverteilung and Unterteilung apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

12 ch
Umverteilung
12 ch
Unterteilung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Umverteilung ([ˈʊmfɛɐ̯ˌtaɪ̯lʊŋ]) and Unterteilung ([ʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56288, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Umverteilung is recorded at frequency rank #24,960, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈʊmfɛɐ̯ˌtaɪ̯lʊŋ]. Unterteilung is at rank #31,328, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ].

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 56288, this pair ranks #946,069 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Umverteilung vs Unterteilung

Shared letters: egilnrtu. Private to "Umverteilung": mv. Private to "Unterteilung": -.

"Umverteilung" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCVVCVCC  ·  "Unterteilung" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCVVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Umverteilungmuverteilung · umevrteilung · ummverteilung · umveretilung · umverrteilung · umverteillung · umverteilnug · umverteilugn
  • Unterteilungnuterteilung · unetrteilung · unnterteilung · unteretilung · unterrteilung · unterteillung · unterteilnug · unterteilugn

Frequency comparison

Umverteilung#24,960
Unterteilung#31,328

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Umverteilung" and "Unterteilung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʊmfɛɐ̯ˌtaɪ̯lʊŋ] versus [ʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Umverteilung" or "Unterteilung"?
"Umverteilung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #24,960 in our German list, against #31,328 for "Unterteilung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Umverteilung vs Unterteilung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Umverteilung” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list