Which to use
“ermutigen” is a verb and “ermutigte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,114
- “ermutigen” frequency rank
- #48,119
- “ermutigte” frequency rank
- 71233
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ermutigen | ermutigte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem zureden, etwas zu tun | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs ermutigt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ermutigen and ermutigte apart are highlighted. They share 8 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: ermutigen is [ɛɐ̯ˈmuːtɪɡn̩] while ermutigte is [ɛɐ̯ˈmuːtɪçtə]. 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 71233, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ermutigen is recorded at frequency rank #23,114, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈmuːtɪɡn̩]. ermutigte is at rank #48,119, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈmuːtɪçtə].
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 71233, this pair ranks #422,716 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of ermutigen vs ermutigte
Shared letters: egimrtu. Private to "ermutigen": n. Private to "ermutigte": -.
"ermutigen" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCVC · "ermutigte" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ermutigen" and "ermutigte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ermutigen" or "ermutigte"?
Remembering ermutigen vs ermutigte
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ermutigen”; for an adjective, it's “ermutigte”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ermutigen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable