entsprachvsentsprachenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#10,264
“entsprach” frequency rank
#25,985
“entsprachen” frequency rank
36249
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entsprach entsprachen
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs entsprechen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum des Verbs entsprechen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set entsprach and entsprachen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
entsprach
11 ch
entsprachen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. entsprach ([ɛntˈʃpʁaːx]) and entsprachen ([ɛntˈʃpʁaːxn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “entsprach” sits inside “entsprachen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36249, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entsprach is recorded at frequency rank #10,264, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈʃpʁaːx]. entsprachen is at rank #25,985, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈʃpʁaːxn̩].

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 36249, this pair ranks #1,620,349 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of entsprach vs entsprachen

Shared letters: acehnprst. Private to "entsprach": -. Private to "entsprachen": -.

"entsprach" · 9 letters · shape VCCCCCVCC  ·  "entsprachen" · 11 letters · shape VCCCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entsprachenntsprach · enstprach · entpsrach · entsparch · entspprach · entspracch · entsprachh · entsprahc
  • entsprachenenntsprachen · enstprachen · entpsrachen · entsparchen · entspprachen · entspracchen · entspracehn · entsprachenn

Frequency comparison

entsprach#10,264
entsprachen#25,985

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entsprach" and "entsprachen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈʃpʁaːx] versus [ɛntˈʃpʁaːxn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "entsprach" or "entsprachen"?
"entsprach" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,264 in our German list, against #25,985 for "entsprachen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering entsprach vs entsprachen

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 “entsprach” 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