Which to use
“fehlt” and “fühlte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #950
- “fehlt” frequency rank
- #4,119
- “fühlte” frequency rank
- 5069
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fehlt | fühlte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Imperativ Plural (ihr) des Verbs fehlen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs fühlen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fehlt and fühlte apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. fehlt ([feːlt]) and fühlte ([ˈfyːltə]) 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 5069, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fehlt is recorded at frequency rank #950, classified as averb, pronounced [feːlt]. fühlte is at rank #4,119, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfyːltə].
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 5069, this pair ranks #1,995,870 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of fehlt vs fühlte
Shared letters: efhlt. Private to "fehlt": -. Private to "fühlte": ü.
"fehlt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC · "fühlte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- fehlt ← efhlt · fehhlt · fehllt · fehltt · fehtl · felht · ffehlt · fhelt
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fehlt" and "fühlte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fehlt" or "fühlte"?
Remembering fehlt vs fühlte
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 “fehlt” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable