Which to use
“bekämpfe” and “bekämpfen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #47,991
- “bekämpfe” frequency rank
- #5,062
- “bekämpfen” frequency rank
- 53053
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bekämpfe | bekämpfen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs bekämpfen | gegen etwas ankämpfen |
Where the eye mixes bekämpfe and bekämpfen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses bekämpfe with bekämpfen
A purely visual mix-up. bekämpfe ([bəˈkɛmp͡fə]) and bekämpfen ([bəˈkɛmp͡fn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “bekämpfe” sits inside “bekämpfen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53053, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bekämpfe is recorded at frequency rank #47,991, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈkɛmp͡fə]. bekämpfen is at rank #5,062, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈkɛmp͡fn̩].
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 53053, this pair ranks #1,072,928 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of bekämpfe vs bekämpfen
Shared letters: befkmpä. Private to "bekämpfe": -. Private to "bekämpfen": n.
"bekämpfe" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCCV · "bekämpfen" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "bekämpfe" for "bekämpfen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "bekämpfe" or "bekämpfen"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "bekämpfe" and "bekämpfen" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "bekämpfe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "bekämpfen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,072,928 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bekämpfe" and "bekämpfen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bekämpfe vs bekämpften". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,072,928 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.