ablenkenvsablenktWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“ablenken” and “ablenkt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#12,014
“ablenken” frequency rank
#47,183
“ablenkt” frequency rank
59197
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ablenken ablenkt
Definition die Aufmerksamkeit auf etwas anderes lenken 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs ablenken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ablenken and ablenkt apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
ablenken
7 ch
ablenkt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ablenken ([ˈapˌlɛŋkn̩]) and ablenkt ([ˈapˌlɛŋkt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59197, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ablenken is recorded at frequency rank #12,014, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlɛŋkn̩]. ablenkt is at rank #47,183, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌlɛŋkt].

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 59197, this pair ranks #833,613 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ablenken vs ablenkt

Shared letters: abekln. Private to "ablenken": -. Private to "ablenkt": t.

"ablenken" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "ablenkt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ablenkenabblenken · abelnken · ableknen · ablenekn · ablenkenn · ablenkken · ablenkne · ablennken
  • ablenktabblenkt · abelnkt · ableknt · ablenkkt · ablenktt · ablennkt · ablentk · abllenkt

Frequency comparison

ablenken#12,014
ablenkt#47,183

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ablenken" and "ablenkt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌlɛŋkn̩] versus [ˈapˌlɛŋkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ablenken" or "ablenkt"?
"ablenken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,014 in our German list, against #47,183 for "ablenkt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ablenken vs ablenkt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ablenken” 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