Which to use
“dauern” and “dauerte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,883
- “dauern” frequency rank
- #4,969
- “dauerte” frequency rank
- 7852
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | dauern | dauerte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | über bestimmten Zeitraum erstrecken, für eine bestimmt Zeitspanne anhalten, währen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs dauern |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set dauern and dauerte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. dauern ([ˈdaʊ̯ɐn]) and dauerte ([ˈdaʊ̯ɐtə]) 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 7852, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
dauern is recorded at frequency rank #2,883, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈdaʊ̯ɐn]. dauerte is at rank #4,969, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈdaʊ̯ɐtə].
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 7852, this pair ranks #1,986,628 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of dauern vs dauerte
Shared letters: aderu. Private to "dauern": n. Private to "dauerte": t.
"dauern" · 6 letters · shape CVVVCC · "dauerte" · 7 letters · shape CVVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "dauern" and "dauerte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "dauern" or "dauerte"?
Remembering dauern vs dauerte
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 “dauern” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable