Which to use
“bekämpfen” is a verb and “bekämpften” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,062
- “bekämpfen” frequency rank
- #43,051
- “bekämpften” frequency rank
- 48113
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bekämpfen | bekämpften |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | gegen etwas ankämpfen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs bekämpft |
Where the eye mixes bekämpfen and bekämpften
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. bekämpfen runs 9 letters (CVCVCCCVC) against bekämpften's 10 (CVCVCCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between bekämpfen and bekämpften
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: bekämpfen is [bəˈkɛmp͡fn̩] while bekämpften is [bəˈkɛmp͡ftn̩]. 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 48113, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bekämpfen is recorded at frequency rank #5,062, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈkɛmp͡fn̩]. bekämpften is at rank #43,051, tagged as anadj, pronounced [bəˈkɛmp͡ftn̩].
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 48113, this pair ranks #1,260,359 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of bekämpfen vs bekämpften
Shared letters: befkmnpä. Private to "bekämpfen": -. Private to "bekämpften": t.
"bekämpfen" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCCVC · "bekämpften" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "bekämpfen" for "bekämpften" ever safe?
Frequency check: "bekämpfen" vs "bekämpften" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "bekämpfen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "bekämpften" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,260,359 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "bekämpfen" and "bekämpften" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "bekämpfe vs bekämpften". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,260,359 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.