Which to use
“ergänzen” is a verb and “ergänzte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #7,312
- “ergänzen” frequency rank
- #15,076
- “ergänzte” frequency rank
- 22388
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ergänzen | ergänzte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zur Bereicherung hinzufügen | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ergänzt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ergänzen 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: ergänzen is [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sn̩] while ergänzte is [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡stə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22388, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ergänzen is recorded at frequency rank #7,312, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡sn̩]. 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 22388, this pair ranks #1,874,785 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ergänzen vs ergänzte
Shared letters: egnrzä. Private to "ergänzen": -. Private to "ergänzte": t.
"ergänzen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "ergänzte" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ergänzen" and "ergänzte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ergänzen" or "ergänzte"?
Remembering ergänzen vs ergänzte
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ergänzen”; for an adjective, it's “ergänzte”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ergänzen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable