Which to use
“bezahlen” is a verb and “bezahlten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,469
- “bezahlen” frequency rank
- #13,563
- “bezahlten” frequency rank
- 15032
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | bezahlen | bezahlten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem für etwas einen bestimmten Geldbetrag geben | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs bezahlt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set bezahlen and bezahlten apart are highlighted. They share 8 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: bezahlen is [bəˈt͡saːlən] while bezahlten is [bəˈt͡saːltn̩]. 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 15032, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
bezahlen is recorded at frequency rank #1,469, classified as averb, pronounced [bəˈt͡saːlən]. bezahlten is at rank #13,563, tagged as anadj, pronounced [bəˈt͡saːltn̩].
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 15032, this pair ranks #1,946,915 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of bezahlen vs bezahlten
Shared letters: abehlnz. Private to "bezahlen": -. Private to "bezahlten": t.
"bezahlen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC · "bezahlten" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "bezahlen" and "bezahlten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "bezahlen" or "bezahlten"?
Remembering bezahlen vs bezahlten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “bezahlen”; for an adjective, it's “bezahlten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “bezahlen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable