Which to use
“untersuchen” is a verb and “Untersuchung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,393
- “untersuchen” frequency rank
- #2,222
- “Untersuchung” frequency rank
- 6615
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | untersuchen | Untersuchung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas analysieren oder erforschen, sich etwas sehr genau anschauen, um es zu verstehen | die genauere Betrachtung, Beobachtung oder das Betasten zur Bestimmung eines Sachverhalts oder Objektes |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set untersuchen and Untersuchung apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
untersuchen and Untersuchung 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 6615, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
untersuchen is recorded at frequency rank #4,393, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈzuːxn̩]. Untersuchung is at rank #2,222, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʊntɐˈzuːxʊŋ].
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 6615, this pair ranks #1,991,036 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "untersuchen" and "Untersuchung" be used interchangeably?
Remembering untersuchen vs Untersuchung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “untersuchen”; for a noun, it's “Untersuchung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “untersuchen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable