Which to use
“ändert” and “änderte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,527
- “ändert” frequency rank
- #8,815
- “änderte” frequency rank
- 11342
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ändert | änderte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ändern | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ändern |
Where the eye mixes ändert and änderte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. ändert runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against änderte's 7 (VCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between ändert and änderte
A purely visual mix-up. ändert ([ˈɛndɐt]) 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 differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “ändert” sits inside “änderte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11342, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ändert is recorded at frequency rank #2,527, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐt]. 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 11342, this pair ranks #1,970,393 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ändert vs änderte
Shared letters: denrtä. Private to "ändert": -. Private to "änderte": -.
"ändert" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "änderte" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ändert" for "änderte" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "ändert" or "änderte" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ändert" 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 #1,970,393 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ändert" and "änderte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "änderst vs änderte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,970,393 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.