unterstützenvsunterstütztWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,493
“unterstützen” frequency rank
#1,214
“unterstützt” frequency rank
2707
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature unterstützen unterstützt
Definition jemandem bei etwas helfen, entweder durch tatkräftige Hilfe oder auch durch einen finanziellen Beitrag Partizip Perfekt Passiv des Verbs unterstützen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set unterstützen and unterstützt apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

12 ch
unterstützen
11 ch
unterstützt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. unterstützen ([ˌʊntɐˈʃtʏt͡sn̩]) and unterstützt ([ˌʊntɐˈʃtʏt͡st]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2707, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

unterstützen is recorded at frequency rank #1,493, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈʃtʏt͡sn̩]. unterstützt is at rank #1,214, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈʃtʏt͡st].

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 2707, this pair ranks #2,001,757 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of unterstützen vs unterstützt

Shared letters: enrstuzü. Private to "unterstützen": -. Private to "unterstützt": -.

"unterstützen" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC  ·  "unterstützt" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCC

Frequency comparison

unterstützen#1,493
unterstützt#1,214

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "unterstützen" and "unterstützt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˌʊntɐˈʃtʏt͡sn̩] versus [ˌʊntɐˈʃtʏt͡st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "unterstützen" or "unterstützt"?
"unterstützt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,214 in our German list, against #1,493 for "unterstützen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering unterstützen vs unterstützt

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 “unterstützen” 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