ungläubigvsungläubigenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#29,381
“ungläubig” frequency rank
#21,096
“ungläubigen” frequency rank
50477
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ungläubig ungläubigen
Definition etwas nicht für wahr haltend, seine Bedenken habend, seine Zweifel ausdrückend Genitiv Singular Maskulinum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs ungläubig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ungläubig and ungläubigen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
ungläubig
11 ch
ungläubigen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ungläubig ([ˈʊnˌɡlɔɪ̯bɪç]) and ungläubigen ([ˈʊnˌɡlɔɪ̯bɪɡn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “ungläubig” sits inside “ungläubigen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50477, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ungläubig is recorded at frequency rank #29,381, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊnˌɡlɔɪ̯bɪç]. ungläubigen is at rank #21,096, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊnˌɡlɔɪ̯bɪɡn̩].

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 50477, this pair ranks #1,172,243 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ungläubig vs ungläubigen

Shared letters: bgilnuä. Private to "ungläubig": -. Private to "ungläubigen": e.

"ungläubig" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVVCVC  ·  "ungläubigen" · 11 letters · shape VCCCVVCVCVC

Frequency comparison

ungläubig#29,381
ungläubigen#21,096

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ungläubig" and "ungläubigen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʊnˌɡlɔɪ̯bɪç] versus [ˈʊnˌɡlɔɪ̯bɪɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ungläubig" or "ungläubigen"?
"ungläubigen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,096 in our German list, against #29,381 for "ungläubig". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ungläubig vs ungläubigen

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 “ungläubig” 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