beschimpfenvsbeschimpftWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“beschimpfen” and “beschimpft” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#20,857
“beschimpfen” frequency rank
#11,826
“beschimpft” frequency rank
32683
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature beschimpfen beschimpft
Definition jemanden durch Schimpfworte oder Schmähungen beleidigen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs beschimpfen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set beschimpfen and beschimpft apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
beschimpfen
10 ch
beschimpft

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. beschimpfen ([bəˈʃɪmp͡fn̩]) and beschimpft ([bəˈʃɪmp͡ft]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32683, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

beschimpfen is recorded at frequency rank #20,857, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈʃɪmp͡fn̩]. beschimpft is at rank #11,826, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈʃɪmp͡ft].

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 32683, this pair ranks #1,702,300 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of beschimpfen vs beschimpft

Shared letters: bcefhimps. Private to "beschimpfen": n. Private to "beschimpft": t.

"beschimpfen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCVC  ·  "beschimpft" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • beschimpfenbbeschimpfen · becshimpfen · bescchimpfen · beschhimpfen · beschimfpen · beschimmpfen · beschimpefn · beschimpfenn
  • beschimpftbbeschimpft · becshimpft · bescchimpft · beschhimpft · beschimfpt · beschimmpft · beschimpfft · beschimpftt

Frequency comparison

beschimpfen#20,857
beschimpft#11,826

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "beschimpfen" and "beschimpft" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈʃɪmp͡fn̩] versus [bəˈʃɪmp͡ft]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "beschimpfen" or "beschimpft"?
"beschimpft" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,826 in our German list, against #20,857 for "beschimpfen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering beschimpfen vs beschimpft

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “beschimpfen” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list