flötenvsfolgtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,253
“flöten” frequency rank
#4,609
“folgten” frequency rank
25862
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature flöten folgten
Definition flötenähnliche Töne hervorbringen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs folgen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
flöten
7 ch
folgten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. flöten ([ˈfløːtn̩]) and folgten ([ˈfɔlktn̩]) 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 25862, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

flöten is recorded at frequency rank #21,253, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfløːtn̩]. folgten is at rank #4,609, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfɔlktn̩].

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 25862, this pair ranks #1,826,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of flöten vs folgten

Shared letters: eflnt. Private to "flöten": ö. Private to "folgten": go.

"flöten" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "folgten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • folgtenffolgten · flogten · foglten · folgetn · folggten · folgtenn · folgtne · folgtten

Frequency comparison

flöten#21,253
folgten#4,609

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "flöten" and "folgten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfløːtn̩] versus [ˈfɔlktn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "flöten" or "folgten"?
"folgten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,609 in our German list, against #21,253 for "flöten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering flöten vs folgten

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 “flöten” 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