verändernvsVeränderungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#2,797
“verändern” frequency rank
#3,551
“Veränderung” frequency rank
6348
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verändern Veränderung
Definition etwas in seiner Art oder Beschaffenheit ändern der Wechsel von einem (alten) Zustand in einen anderen (neuen)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verändern and Veränderung apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
verändern
11 ch
Veränderung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verändern is [fɛɐ̯ˈʔɛndɐn] while Veränderung is [fɛɐ̯ˈʔɛndəʁʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 6348, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verändern is recorded at frequency rank #2,797, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʔɛndɐn]. Veränderung is at rank #3,551, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʔɛndəʁʊŋ].

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 6348, this pair ranks #1,991,947 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verändern vs Veränderung

Shared letters: denrvä. Private to "verändern": -. Private to "Veränderung": gu.

"verändern" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCC  ·  "Veränderung" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

verändern#2,797
Veränderung#3,551

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verändern" and "Veränderung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "verändern" is a verb and "Veränderung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "verändern" or "Veränderung"?
"verändern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,797 in our German list, against #3,551 for "Veränderung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verändern vs Veränderung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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