zuwendenvsZuwendungWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#30,405
“zuwenden” frequency rank
#19,097
“Zuwendung” frequency rank
49502
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature zuwenden Zuwendung
Definition den Kopf/Körper in Richtung auf etwas/jemanden hinwenden Aufmerksamkeit und eine freundliche und liebevolle Behandlung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zuwenden and Zuwendung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
zuwenden
9 ch
Zuwendung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zuwenden is [ˈt͡suːˌvɛndn̩] while Zuwendung is [ˈt͡suːˌvɛndʊŋ]. 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 49502, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zuwenden is recorded at frequency rank #30,405, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌvɛndn̩]. Zuwendung is at rank #19,097, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌvɛndʊŋ].

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 49502, this pair ranks #1,209,117 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of zuwenden vs Zuwendung

Shared letters: denuwz. Private to "zuwenden": -. Private to "Zuwendung": g.

"zuwenden" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC  ·  "Zuwendung" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • zuwendenuzwenden · zuewnden · zuwednen · zuwendden · zuwendenn · zuwendne · zuwenedn · zuwennden
  • Zuwendunguzwendung · zuewndung · zuwednung · zuwenddung · zuwendnug · zuwendugn · zuwendungg · zuwendunng

Frequency comparison

zuwenden#30,405
Zuwendung#19,097

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zuwenden" and "Zuwendung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "zuwenden" is a verb and "Zuwendung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "zuwenden" or "Zuwendung"?
"Zuwendung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,097 in our German list, against #30,405 for "zuwenden". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering zuwenden vs Zuwendung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “zuwenden”; for a noun, it's “Zuwendung”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zuwenden” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list