unterbrechen

[ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩]

/[ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“unterbrechen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #13,717 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,717
frequency rank, German
12
letters
19
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (eine bestehende Verbindung) vorübergehend trennen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

unterbrechen vs unterbrochen
92% similar
unterbrechen vs unterbreiten
83% similar
unterbrechen vs Unterbrechung
77% similar

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

Key facts for unterbrechen
PropertyValue
Headwordunterbrechen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩]
Letters12
Frequency rank#13,717
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “unterbrechen” 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). unterbrechen lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for unterbrechen is 12 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #13,717 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for unterbrechen, with forms such as "nuterbrechen", "unetrbrechen", and "unnterbrechen". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "unterbrochen", "unterbreiten", "Unterbrechung", 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 best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is unterbrechen, spelled U-N-T-E-R-B-R-E-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    (eine bestehende Verbindung) vorübergehend trennen
  2. 2
    eine Kommunikation zwischen zwei Teilnehmern stören, kurzzeitig aufhalten
  3. 3
    eine Handlung aussetzen; aufhören etwas zu tun, um später wieder damit zu beginnen

Synonyms

trennenaussetzensuspendieren

Antonyms

fortsetzenwiederaufnehmen

This word in other languages

disrupt(English)interrumpir(Español)couper(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nuterbrechen,unetrbrechen,unnterbrechen,untebrrechen,unterbbrechen,unterberchen,unterbrcehen,unterbrecchen,unterbrecehn,unterbrechenn,unterbrechhen,unterbrechne,unterbrehcen,unterbrrechen,unterrbechen,unterrbrechen,untrebrechen,untterbrechen,utnerbrechen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of unterbrechen - 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.

nuterbrechen2unetrbrechen2unnterbrechen1untebrrechen2unterbbrechen1unterberchen2unterbrcehen2unterbrecchen1
Edit distance from "unterbrechen"

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 "unterbrechen"?
"unterbrechen" is spelled U-N-T-E-R-B-R-E-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩].
What does "unterbrechen" mean?
As a verb, "unterbrechen" means: (eine bestehende Verbindung) vorübergehend trennen
What words are commonly confused with "unterbrechen"?
"unterbrechen" is commonly confused with "unterbrochen", "unterbreiten", "Unterbrechung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "unterbrechen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unterbrechen" is [ˌʊntɐˈbʁɛçn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "unterbrechen" come from?
"unterbrechen" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “unterbrechen”

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

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