erntenvsernteteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#12,066
“ernten” frequency rank
#41,147
“erntete” frequency rank
53213
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ernten erntete
Definition Nutzpflanzen von den Feldern einholen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ernten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ernten and erntete apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
ernten
7 ch
erntete

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ernten ([ˈɛʁntn̩]) and erntete ([ˈɛʁntətə]) 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 53213, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ernten is recorded at frequency rank #12,066, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɛʁntn̩]. erntete is at rank #41,147, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɛʁntətə].

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 53213, this pair ranks #1,066,820 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of ernten vs erntete

Shared letters: enrt. Private to "ernten": -. Private to "erntete": -.

"ernten" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC  ·  "erntete" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • erntenenrten · ernetn · ernnten · erntenn · erntne · erntten · errnten · ertnen
  • ernteteenrtete · ernette · ernntete · ernteet · erntette · ernttee · ernttete · errntete

Frequency comparison

ernten#12,066
erntete#41,147

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ernten" and "erntete" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɛʁntn̩] versus [ˈɛʁntətə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ernten" or "erntete"?
"ernten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,066 in our German list, against #41,147 for "erntete". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ernten vs erntete

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 “ernten” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list