übernehmen

[yːbɐˈneːmən]

/[yːbɐˈneːmən]/ verb

The verdict

“übernehmen” has 15 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #1,688. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,688
frequency rank, German
5,800
“Ü” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich etwas von jemandem nehmen, zu eigen machen; jemandem etwas wegnehmen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

übernehmen vs übersehen
80% similar
übernehmen vs übernommen
80% similar
übernehmen vs Unternehmen
73% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for übernehmen
PropertyValue
Headwordübernehmen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[yːbɐˈneːmən]
Letters10
Frequency rank#1,688
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “übernehmen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). übernehmen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around übernehmen (IPA [yːbɐˈneːmən]), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,688 among 5,800 “Ü” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for übernehmen, with forms such as "büernehmen", "übbernehmen", and "übenrehmen". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "übersehen", "übernommen", "Unternehmen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is übernehmen, spelled Ü-B-E-R-N-E-H-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich etwas von jemandem nehmen, zu eigen machen; jemandem etwas wegnehmen
  2. 2
    sich zu viel zumuten, sich selbst überlasten
  3. 3
    etwas von jemand anderem verwenden, sich etwas zu eigen machen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: büernehmen,übbernehmen,übenrehmen,überenhmen,übernehemn,übernehhmen,übernehmenn,übernehmmen,übernehmne,übernemhen,übernhemen,übernnehmen,überrnehmen,übrenehmen,üebrnehmen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of übernehmen - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

büernehmen2übbernehmen1übenrehmen2überenhmen2übernehemn2übernehhmen1übernehmenn1übernehmmen1
Edit distance from "übernehmen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "übernehmen"?
"übernehmen" is spelled Ü-B-E-R-N-E-H-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [yːbɐˈneːmən].
What does "übernehmen" mean?
As a verb, "übernehmen" means: sich etwas von jemandem nehmen, zu eigen machen; jemandem etwas wegnehmen
What words are commonly confused with "übernehmen"?
"übernehmen" is commonly confused with "übersehen", "übernommen", "Unternehmen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "übernehmen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "übernehmen" is [yːbɐˈneːmən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "übernehmen" come from?
"übernehmen" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “übernehmen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is Ü-B-E-R-N-E-H-M-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [yːbɐˈneːmən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “übersehen” - see the side-by-side comparison. übernehmen vs übersehen
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list