unterteilenvsUnterteilungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: unterteilen is a verb, Unterteilung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“unterteilen” is a verb and “Unterteilung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#29,386
“unterteilen” frequency rank
#31,328
“Unterteilung” frequency rank
60714
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature unterteilen Unterteilung
Definition logisch oder physisch restlos in verschiedene Teile (Einheiten) gliedern logische oder physische Gliederung in verschiedene Teile (Einheiten)

Where the spellings diverge

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

11 ch
unterteilen
12 ch
Unterteilung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: unterteilen is [ˌʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lən] while Unterteilung is [ʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ]. 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 60714, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

unterteilen is recorded at frequency rank #29,386, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lən]. Unterteilung is at rank #31,328, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ʊntɐˈtaɪ̯lʊŋ].

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 60714, this pair ranks #776,709 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of unterteilen vs Unterteilung

Shared letters: eilnrtu. Private to "unterteilen": -. Private to "Unterteilung": g.

"unterteilen" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCVVCVC  ·  "Unterteilung" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCVVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • unterteilennuterteilen · unetrteilen · unnterteilen · unteretilen · unterrteilen · unterteieln · unterteilenn · unterteillen
  • Unterteilungnuterteilung · unetrteilung · unnterteilung · unteretilung · unterrteilung · unterteillung · unterteilnug · unterteilugn

Frequency comparison

unterteilen#29,386
Unterteilung#31,328

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "unterteilen" and "Unterteilung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "unterteilen" is a verb and "Unterteilung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "unterteilen" or "Unterteilung"?
"unterteilen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,386 in our German list, against #31,328 for "Unterteilung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering unterteilen vs Unterteilung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “unterteilen”; for a noun, it's “Unterteilung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “unterteilen” 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