unterzeichnetvsunterzeichneteWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: unterzeichnet is a verb, unterzeichnete is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“unterzeichnet” is a verb and “unterzeichnete” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#8,301
“unterzeichnet” frequency rank
#22,546
“unterzeichnete” frequency rank
30847
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature unterzeichnet unterzeichnete
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs unterzeichnen Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs unterzeichnet

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set unterzeichnet and unterzeichnete apart are highlighted. They share 13 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

13 ch
unterzeichnet
14 ch
unterzeichnete

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

unterzeichnet and unterzeichnete 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 extra letter(s) - “unterzeichnet” sits inside “unterzeichnete” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30847, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

unterzeichnet is recorded at frequency rank #8,301, classified as averb, pronounced [ʊntɐˈt͡saɪ̯çnət]. unterzeichnete is at rank #22,546, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ʊntɐˈt͡saɪ̯çnətə].

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 30847, this pair ranks #1,739,892 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

unterzeichnet#8,301
unterzeichnete#22,546

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "unterzeichnet" and "unterzeichnete" be used interchangeably?
No, "unterzeichnet" and "unterzeichnete" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering unterzeichnet vs unterzeichnete

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “unterzeichnet”; for an adjective, it's “unterzeichnete”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “unterzeichnet” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list