Which to use
“betrügen” and “betrügt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,830
- “betrügen” frequency rank
- #26,780
- “betrügt” frequency rank
- 44610
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | betrügen | betrügt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem absichtlich und böswillig die Unwahrheit sagen | 2. Person Plural Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs betragen |
Where the eye mixes betrügen and betrügt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. betrügen runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against betrügt's 7 (CVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses betrügen with betrügt
A purely visual mix-up. betrügen ([bəˈtʁyːɡn̩]) and betrügt ([bəˈtʁyːkt]) 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 44610, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
betrügen is recorded at frequency rank #17,830, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈtʁyːɡn̩]. betrügt is at rank #26,780, tagged as averb, pronounced [bəˈtʁyːkt].
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 44610, this pair ranks #1,380,579 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of betrügen vs betrügt
Shared letters: begrtü. Private to "betrügen": n. Private to "betrügt": -.
"betrügen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "betrügt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "betrügen" for "betrügt" ever safe?
Which is more common, "betrügen" or "betrügt"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "betrügen" and "betrügt" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "betrügen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "betrügt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,380,579 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "betrügen" and "betrügt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "beitrug vs betrügt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,380,579 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.