VariationvsVariationenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,110
“Variation” frequency rank
#10,580
“Variationen” frequency rank
28690
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Variation Variationen
Definition das Variieren; das Abwandeln oder auch das Verändern von etwas Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Variation

Where the eye mixes Variation and Variationen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence.

9 ch
Variation
11 ch
Variationen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Variation ([vaʁiaˈt͡si̯oːn]) and Variationen ([vaʁiaˈt͡si̯oːnən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Variation” sits inside “Variationen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28690, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Variation is recorded at frequency rank #18,110, classified as anoun, pronounced [vaʁiaˈt͡si̯oːn]. Variationen is at rank #10,580, tagged as anoun, pronounced [vaʁiaˈt͡si̯oːnən].

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 28690, this pair ranks #1,780,290 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Variation vs Variationen

Shared letters: ainortv. Private to "Variation": -. Private to "Variationen": e.

"Variation" · 9 letters · shape CVCVVCVVC  ·  "Variationen" · 11 letters · shape CVCVVCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Variationavriation · vairation · varaition · variaiton · variatino · variationn · variatoin · variattion
  • Variationenavriationen · vairationen · varaitionen · variaitonen · variatinoen · variatioenn · variationenn · variationne

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Variation" and "Variationen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([vaʁiaˈt͡si̯oːn] versus [vaʁiaˈt͡si̯oːnən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Variation" or "Variationen"?
"Variationen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,580 in our German list, against #18,110 for "Variation". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

You've compared "Variation" and "Variationen". Here's where to go from here.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Variation" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Variationen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,780,290 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list