Which to use
“ergänze” is a verb and “ergänzte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #48,854
- “ergänze” frequency rank
- #15,076
- “ergänzte” frequency rank
- 63930
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ergänze | ergänzte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs ergänzen | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ergänzt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ergänze and ergänzte apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: ergänze is [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sə] while ergänzte is [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡stə]. 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 63930, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ergänze is recorded at frequency rank #48,854, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sə]. ergänzte is at rank #15,076, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡stə].
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 63930, this pair ranks #659,327 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ergänze vs ergänzte
Shared letters: egnrzä. Private to "ergänze": -. Private to "ergänzte": t.
"ergänze" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "ergänzte" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ergänze" and "ergänzte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ergänze" or "ergänzte"?
Remembering ergänze vs ergänzte
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ergänze”; for an adjective, it's “ergänzte”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ergänze” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable