ändertenvsanmerkenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,963
“änderten” frequency rank
#17,214
“anmerken” frequency rank
46177
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature änderten anmerken
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ändern wahrnehmen (lassen)

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
änderten
8 ch
anmerken

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. änderten ([ˈɛndɐtn̩]) and anmerken ([ˈanˌmɛʁkn̩]) 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 46177, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

änderten is recorded at frequency rank #28,963, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛndɐtn̩]. anmerken is at rank #17,214, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌmɛʁkn̩].

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 46177, this pair ranks #1,327,919 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of änderten vs anmerken

Shared letters: enr. Private to "änderten": dtä. Private to "anmerken": akm.

"änderten" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "anmerken" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • anmerkenamnerken · anemrken · anmekren · anmerekn · anmerkenn · anmerkken · anmerkne · anmerrken

Frequency comparison

änderten#28,963
anmerken#17,214

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "änderten" and "anmerken" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛndɐtn̩] versus [ˈanˌmɛʁkn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "änderten" or "anmerken"?
"anmerken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,214 in our German list, against #28,963 for "änderten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering änderten vs anmerken

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 “änderten” 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