Which to use
“auslösen” and “auslöste” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,868
- “auslösen” frequency rank
- #29,483
- “auslöste” frequency rank
- 37351
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | auslösen | auslöste |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in Gang/in Bewegung setzen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs auslösen |
Where the eye mixes auslösen and auslöste
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. auslösen (VVCCVCVC) and auslöste (VVCCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between auslösen and auslöste
A purely visual mix-up. auslösen ([ˈaʊ̯sˌløːzn̩]) and auslöste ([ˈaʊ̯sˌløːstə]) 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 37351, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
auslösen is recorded at frequency rank #7,868, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌløːzn̩]. auslöste is at rank #29,483, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaʊ̯sˌløːstə].
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 37351, this pair ranks #1,592,528 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of auslösen vs auslöste
Shared letters: aelsuö. Private to "auslösen": n. Private to "auslöste": t.
"auslösen" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCVC · "auslöste" · 8 letters · shape VVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "auslösen" and "auslöste" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "auslösen" or "auslöste"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "auslösen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "auslöste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,592,528 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "auslösen" and "auslöste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Auslese vs auslöste". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,592,528 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.