fasstvsfasstenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,181
“fasst” frequency rank
#42,481
“fassten” frequency rank
48662
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fasst fassten
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs fassen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs fassen

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
fasst
7 ch
fassten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fasst ([fast]) and fassten ([ˈfastn̩]) 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) - “fasst” sits inside “fassten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48662, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fasst is recorded at frequency rank #6,181, classified as averb, pronounced [fast]. fassten is at rank #42,481, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfastn̩].

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 48662, this pair ranks #1,240,264 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of fasst vs fassten

Shared letters: afst. Private to "fasst": -. Private to "fassten": en.

"fasst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "fassten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • fasstafsst · fasstt · fasts · faßt · ffasst · fsast
  • fasstenafssten · fassetn · fasstenn · fasstne · fasstten · fastsen · faßten · ffassten

Frequency comparison

fasst#6,181
fassten#42,481

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fasst" and "fassten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fast] versus [ˈfastn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fasst" or "fassten"?
"fasst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,181 in our German list, against #42,481 for "fassten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fasst vs fassten

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 “fasst” 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