unsterblichvsunsterblichenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,099
“unsterblich” frequency rank
#37,264
“unsterblichen” frequency rank
58363
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature unsterblich unsterblichen
Definition mit unbegrenzter Lebenszeit; fähig, dem Tode dauerhaft zu entgehen Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Adjektivs unsterblich

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set unsterblich and unsterblichen apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
unsterblich
13 ch
unsterblichen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. unsterblich ([ˈʊnʃtɛʁplɪç]) and unsterblichen ([ˈʊnʃtɛʁplɪçn̩]) 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) - “unsterblich” sits inside “unsterblichen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58363, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

unsterblich is recorded at frequency rank #21,099, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊnʃtɛʁplɪç]. unsterblichen is at rank #37,264, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊnʃtɛʁplɪçn̩].

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 58363, this pair ranks #865,673 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of unsterblich vs unsterblichen

Shared letters: bcehilnrstu. Private to "unsterblich": -. Private to "unsterblichen": -.

"unsterblich" · 11 letters · shape VCCCVCCCVCC  ·  "unsterblichen" · 13 letters · shape VCCCVCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • unsterblichnusterblich · unnsterblich · unsetrblich · unssterblich · unstebrlich · unsterbblich · unsterbilch · unsterblcih
  • unsterblichennusterblichen · unnsterblichen · unsetrblichen · unssterblichen · unstebrlichen · unsterbblichen · unsterbilchen · unsterblcihen

Frequency comparison

unsterblich#21,099
unsterblichen#37,264

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "unsterblich" and "unsterblichen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʊnʃtɛʁplɪç] versus [ˈʊnʃtɛʁplɪçn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "unsterblich" or "unsterblichen"?
"unsterblich" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,099 in our German list, against #37,264 for "unsterblichen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering unsterblich vs unsterblichen

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 “unsterblich” 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