ändertvsändertenWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#2,527
“ändert” frequency rank
#28,963
“änderten” frequency rank
31490
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ändert änderten
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ändern 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ändern

Where the eye mixes ändert and änderten

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. ändert runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against änderten's 8 (VCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

6 ch
ändert
8 ch
änderten

Look-alike desk: ändert vs änderten

A purely visual mix-up. ändert ([ˈɛndɐt]) and änderten ([ˈɛndɐtn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “ändert” sits inside “änderten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31490, 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]. änderten is at rank #28,963, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐtn̩].

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 31490, this pair ranks #1,727,053 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of ändert vs änderten

Shared letters: denrtä. Private to "ändert": -. Private to "änderten": -.

"ändert" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC  ·  "änderten" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ändert" and "änderten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛndɐt] versus [ˈɛndɐtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "ändert" vs "änderten" - which ranks higher?
"ändert" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,527 in our German list, against #28,963 for "änderten". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

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 "änderten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,727,053 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "ändert" and "änderten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "änderten vs anwerben". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,727,053 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