Which to use
“Unternehmen” and “Unternehmung” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #372
- “Unternehmen” frequency rank
- #23,344
- “Unternehmung” frequency rank
- 23716
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Unternehmen | Unternehmung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Gesellschaft, die in Produktion oder Handel tätig ist oder Dienstleistungen erbringt | Tätigkeit, die ein bestimmtes Ziel hat |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Unternehmen and Unternehmung apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Unternehmen and Unternehmung form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23716, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Unternehmen is recorded at frequency rank #372, classified as anoun, pronounced [ʊntɐˈneːmən]. Unternehmung is at rank #23,344, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈneːmʊŋ].
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 23716, this pair ranks #1,857,579 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Unternehmen" and "Unternehmung" be used interchangeably?
Remembering Unternehmen vs Unternehmung
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 “Unternehmen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable