änderstvsänderteWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#44,399
“änderst” frequency rank
#8,815
“änderte” frequency rank
53214
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature änderst änderte
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ändern 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ändern

Where the eye mixes änderst and änderte

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. änderst (VCCVCCC) and änderte (VCCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

7 ch
änderst
7 ch
änderte

Look-alike desk: änderst vs änderte

A purely visual mix-up. änderst ([ˈɛndɐst]) and änderte ([ˈɛndɐtə]) 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 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53214, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

änderst is recorded at frequency rank #44,399, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐst]. änderte is at rank #8,815, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐtə].

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 53214, this pair ranks #1,066,784 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of änderst vs änderte

Shared letters: denrtä. Private to "änderst": s. Private to "änderte": -.

"änderst" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC  ·  "änderte" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "änderst" and "änderte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛndɐst] versus [ˈɛndɐtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "änderst" or "änderte"?
"änderte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,815 in our German list, against #44,399 for "änderst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "änderst" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "änderte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,066,784 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "änderst" and "änderte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Andersen vs änderst". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,066,784 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list