Which to use
“unfähig” and “untätig” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,957
- “unfähig” frequency rank
- #28,442
- “untätig” frequency rank
- 39399
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | unfähig | untätig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht die nötigen Kenntnisse oder Fertigkeiten für die Erfüllung einer Aufgabe habend; einer Tätigkeit nicht gewachsen | nichts tuend, keine Aktivität zeigend |
Where the eye mixes unfähig and untätig
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. unfähig and untätig follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses unfähig with untätig
A purely visual mix-up. unfähig ([ˈʊnˌfɛːɪç]) and untätig ([ˈʊntɛːtɪç]) 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 39399, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
unfähig is recorded at frequency rank #10,957, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊnˌfɛːɪç]. untätig is at rank #28,442, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊntɛːtɪç].
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 39399, this pair ranks #1,537,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of unfähig vs untätig
Shared letters: ginuä. Private to "unfähig": fh. Private to "untätig": t.
"unfähig" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC · "untätig" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "unfähig" for "untätig" ever safe?
Frequency check: "unfähig" vs "untätig" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "unfähig" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "untätig" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,537,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "unfähig" and "untätig" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "unfähig vs unfähigen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,537,903 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.