Which to use
“weigern” is a verb and “Weigerung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,760
- “weigern” frequency rank
- #24,991
- “Weigerung” frequency rank
- 43751
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | weigern | Weigerung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ablehnen, etwas zu tun | Handlung, etwas abzulehnen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set weigern and Weigerung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: weigern is [ˈvaɪ̯ɡɐn] while Weigerung is [ˈvaɪ̯ɡəʁʊŋ]. 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 43751, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
weigern is recorded at frequency rank #18,760, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈvaɪ̯ɡɐn]. Weigerung is at rank #24,991, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈvaɪ̯ɡəʁʊŋ].
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 43751, this pair ranks #1,408,109 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of weigern vs Weigerung
Shared letters: eginrw. Private to "weigern": -. Private to "Weigerung": u.
"weigern" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVCC · "Weigerung" · 9 letters · shape CVVCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "weigern" and "Weigerung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "weigern" or "Weigerung"?
Remembering weigern vs Weigerung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “weigern”; for a noun, it's “Weigerung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “weigern” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable