Which to use
“zünden” is a verb and “Zündung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,788
- “zünden” frequency rank
- #27,587
- “Zündung” frequency rank
- 45375
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zünden | Zündung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in Brand stecken oder einen Verbrennungsprozess in Gang setzen | Initiierung einer chemischen Reaktion durch Zuführung von Energie in geeigneter Form (zum Beispiel in Form von Wärme oder Licht) beim Starten eines Verbrennungsmotors oder der Auslösung einer Sprengung |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zünden and Zündung apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: zünden is [ˈt͡sʏndn̩] while Zündung is [ˈt͡sʏndʊŋ]. 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 45375, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zünden is recorded at frequency rank #17,788, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡sʏndn̩]. Zündung is at rank #27,587, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡sʏndʊŋ].
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 45375, this pair ranks #1,355,146 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zünden vs Zündung
Shared letters: dnzü. Private to "zünden": e. Private to "Zündung": gu.
"zünden" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Zündung" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zünden" and "Zündung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zünden" or "Zündung"?
Remembering zünden vs Zündung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “zünden”; for a noun, it's “Zündung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zünden” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable