Which to use
“bedecken” is a verb and “bedeckte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #21,182
- “bedecken” frequency rank
- #39,826
- “bedeckte” frequency rank
- 61008
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bedecken | bedeckte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas über etwas/jemanden legen (oft zum Schutze vor zum Beispiel Kälte oder Blicken) | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs bedeckt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bedecken and bedeckte apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bedecken is [bəˈdɛkn̩] while bedeckte is [bəˈdɛktə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61008, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bedecken is recorded at frequency rank #21,182, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈdɛkn̩]. bedeckte is at rank #39,826, tagged as anadj, pronounced [bəˈdɛktə].
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 61008, this pair ranks #765,709 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of bedecken vs bedeckte
Shared letters: bcdek. Private to "bedecken": n. Private to "bedeckte": t.
"bedecken" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "bedeckte" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bedecken" and "bedeckte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "bedecken" or "bedeckte"?
Remembering bedecken vs bedeckte
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “bedecken”; for an adjective, it's “bedeckte”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bedecken” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable