ändertevsärgerteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,815
“änderte” frequency rank
#34,475
“ärgerte” frequency rank
43290
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature änderte ärgerte
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ändern 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ärgern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set änderte and ärgerte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
änderte
7 ch
ärgerte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. änderte ([ˈɛndɐtə]) and ärgerte ([ˈɛʁɡɐtə]) 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 43290, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

änderte is recorded at frequency rank #8,815, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐtə]. ärgerte is at rank #34,475, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɛʁɡɐtə].

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 43290, this pair ranks #1,422,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of änderte vs ärgerte

Shared letters: ertä. Private to "änderte": dn. Private to "ärgerte": g.

"änderte" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV  ·  "ärgerte" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV

Frequency comparison

änderte#8,815
ärgerte#34,475

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "änderte" and "ärgerte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛndɐtə] versus [ˈɛʁɡɐtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "änderte" or "ärgerte"?
"änderte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,815 in our German list, against #34,475 for "ärgerte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering änderte vs ärgerte

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 “änderte” 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