Which to use
“altert” and “ärgert” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,458
- “altert” frequency rank
- #10,786
- “ärgert” frequency rank
- 57244
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | altert | ärgert |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs altern | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ärgern |
Where the eye mixes altert and ärgert
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses altert with ärgert
A purely visual mix-up. altert ([ˈaltɐt]) and ärgert ([ˈɛʁɡɐt]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57244, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
altert is recorded at frequency rank #46,458, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaltɐt]. ärgert is at rank #10,786, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɛʁɡɐt].
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 57244, this pair ranks #908,885 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of altert vs ärgert
Shared letters: ert. Private to "altert": al. Private to "ärgert": gä.
"altert" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "ärgert" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- altert ← aletrt · alltert · alterrt · altertt · altetr · altret · alttert · atlert
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "altert" and "ärgert" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "altert" or "ärgert" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "altert" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ärgert" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #908,885 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "altert" and "ärgert" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "altars vs altert". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #908,885 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.