brauchstvsbrauchteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,140
“brauchst” frequency rank
#4,185
“brauchte” frequency rank
6325
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature brauchst brauchte
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs brauchen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs brauchen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
brauchst
8 ch
brauchte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. brauchst ([bʁaʊ̯xst]) and brauchte ([ˈbʁaʊ̯xtə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6325, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

brauchst is recorded at frequency rank #2,140, classified as averb, pronounced [bʁaʊ̯xst]. brauchte is at rank #4,185, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈbʁaʊ̯xtə].

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 6325, this pair ranks #1,992,015 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of brauchst vs brauchte

Shared letters: abchrtu. Private to "brauchst": s. Private to "brauchte": e.

"brauchst" · 8 letters · shape CCVVCCCC  ·  "brauchte" · 8 letters · shape CCVVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • brauchstbaruchst · bbrauchst · bracuhst · braucchst · brauchhst · brauchsst · brauchstt · brauchts
  • brauchtebaruchte · bbrauchte · bracuhte · braucchte · brauchet · brauchhte · brauchtte · braucthe

Frequency comparison

brauchst#2,140
brauchte#4,185

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "brauchst" and "brauchte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bʁaʊ̯xst] versus [ˈbʁaʊ̯xtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "brauchst" or "brauchte"?
"brauchst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,140 in our German list, against #4,185 for "brauchte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering brauchst vs brauchte

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 “brauchst” 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