verständigenvsVerständigungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#13,726
“verständigen” frequency rank
#16,315
“Verständigung” frequency rank
30041
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verständigen Verständigung
Definition jemandem eine Sache mitteilen; jemanden über etwas informieren Das gegenseitige Verstehen (einander verstehen) durch Kommunikation, Wahrnehmung und gedankliche Verarbeitung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verständigen and Verständigung apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

12 ch
verständigen
13 ch
Verständigung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verständigen is [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛndɪɡn̩] while Verständigung is [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛndɪɡʊŋ]. 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 30041, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verständigen is recorded at frequency rank #13,726, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛndɪɡn̩]. Verständigung is at rank #16,315, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛndɪɡʊŋ].

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 30041, this pair ranks #1,755,529 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verständigen vs Verständigung

Shared letters: deginrstvä. Private to "verständigen": -. Private to "Verständigung": u.

"verständigen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVCVC  ·  "Verständigung" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

verständigen#13,726
Verständigung#16,315

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verständigen" and "Verständigung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "verständigen" is a verb and "Verständigung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "verständigen" or "Verständigung"?
"verständigen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,726 in our German list, against #16,315 for "Verständigung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verständigen vs Verständigung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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