Which to use
“unterbrechen” is a verb and “Unterbrechung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,717
- “unterbrechen” frequency rank
- #10,958
- “Unterbrechung” frequency rank
- 24675
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | unterbrechen | Unterbrechung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (eine bestehende Verbindung) vorübergehend trennen | Zerteilung einer Verbindung; Öffnung einer Leitung, eines Rohres, eines Seils |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set unterbrechen and Unterbrechung apart are highlighted. They share 11 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: unterbrechen is [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩] while Unterbrechung is [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24675, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
unterbrechen is recorded at frequency rank #13,717, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩]. Unterbrechung is at rank #10,958, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçʊŋ].
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 24675, this pair ranks #1,844,321 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of unterbrechen vs Unterbrechung
Shared letters: bcehnrtu. Private to "unterbrechen": -. Private to "Unterbrechung": g.
"unterbrechen" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC · "Unterbrechung" · 13 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- unterbrechen ← nuterbrechen · unetrbrechen · unnterbrechen · untebrrechen · unterbbrechen · unterberchen · unterbrcehen · unterbrecchen
- Unterbrechung ← nuterbrechung · unetrbrechung · unnterbrechung · untebrrechung · unterbbrechung · unterberchung · unterbrcehung · unterbrecchung
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "unterbrechen" and "Unterbrechung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "unterbrechen" or "Unterbrechung"?
Remembering unterbrechen vs Unterbrechung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “unterbrechen”; for a noun, it's “Unterbrechung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “unterbrechen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable