blickenvsblicktenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#5,068
“blicken” frequency rank
#39,251
“blickten” frequency rank
44319
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature blicken blickten
Definition seinen Blick auf jemanden/etwas wenden und es bewusst wahrnehmen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs blicken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set blicken and blickten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
blicken
8 ch
blickten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. blicken ([ˈblɪkn̩]) and blickten ([ˈblɪktn̩]) 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 44319, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

blicken is recorded at frequency rank #5,068, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈblɪkn̩]. blickten is at rank #39,251, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈblɪktn̩].

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 44319, this pair ranks #1,390,073 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of blicken vs blickten

Shared letters: bceikln. Private to "blicken": -. Private to "blickten": t.

"blicken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "blickten" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • blickenbblicken · bilcken · blciken · bliccken · blicekn · blickenn · blickken · blickne
  • blicktenbblickten · bilckten · blcikten · blicckten · blicketn · blickkten · blicktenn · blicktne

Frequency comparison

blicken#5,068
blickten#39,251

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "blicken" and "blickten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈblɪkn̩] versus [ˈblɪktn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "blicken" or "blickten"?
"blicken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #5,068 in our German list, against #39,251 for "blickten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering blicken vs blickten

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 “blicken” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list