Which to use
“unten” is an adverb and “unteren” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #847
- “unten” frequency rank
- #2,860
- “unteren” frequency rank
- 3707
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | unten | unteren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | an einer tief gelegener Stelle/Ort | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs unter- |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set unten and unteren apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: unten is [ˈʊntn̩] while unteren is [ˈʊntəʁən]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3707, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
unten is recorded at frequency rank #847, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈʊntn̩]. unteren is at rank #2,860, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈʊntəʁən].
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 3707, this pair ranks #1,999,580 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of unten vs unteren
Shared letters: entu. Private to "unten": -. Private to "unteren": r.
"unten" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "unteren" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "unten" and "unteren" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "unten" or "unteren"?
Remembering unten vs unteren
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “unten”; for an adjective, it's “unteren”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “unten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable