Which to use
“befestigen” is a verb and “befestigten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #19,509
- “befestigen” frequency rank
- #26,776
- “befestigten” frequency rank
- 46285
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | befestigen | befestigten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | an etwas fest anbringen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs befestigt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set befestigen and befestigten apart are highlighted. They share 10 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: befestigen is [bəˈfɛstɪɡn̩] while befestigten is [bəˈfɛstɪçtn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46285, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
befestigen is recorded at frequency rank #19,509, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈfɛstɪɡn̩]. befestigten is at rank #26,776, tagged as anadj, pronounced [bəˈfɛstɪçtn̩].
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 46285, this pair ranks #1,324,388 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of befestigen vs befestigten
Shared letters: befginst. Private to "befestigen": -. Private to "befestigten": -.
"befestigen" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCVC · "befestigten" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- befestigen ← bbefestigen · beefstigen · befesitgen · befesstigen · befestgien · befestiegn · befestigenn · befestiggen
- befestigten ← bbefestigten · beefstigten · befesitgten · befesstigten · befestgiten · befestigetn · befestiggten · befestigtenn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "befestigen" and "befestigten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "befestigen" or "befestigten"?
Remembering befestigen vs befestigten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “befestigen”; for an adjective, it's “befestigten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “befestigen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable