Which to use
“flüstert” and “flüsterte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,602
- “flüstert” frequency rank
- #36,936
- “flüsterte” frequency rank
- 58538
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | flüstert | flüsterte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs flüstern | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs flüstern |
Where the eye mixes flüstert and flüsterte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between flüstert and flüsterte
A purely visual mix-up. flüstert ([ˈflʏstɐt]) and flüsterte ([ˈflʏstɐtə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “flüstert” sits inside “flüsterte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58538, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
flüstert is recorded at frequency rank #21,602, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈflʏstɐt]. flüsterte is at rank #36,936, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈflʏstɐtə].
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 58538, this pair ranks #858,909 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of flüstert vs flüsterte
Shared letters: eflrstü. Private to "flüstert": -. Private to "flüsterte": -.
"flüstert" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCC · "flüsterte" · 9 letters · shape CCVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "flüstert" and "flüsterte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "flüstert" or "flüsterte"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "flüstert" and "flüsterte" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "flüstert" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "flüsterte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #858,909 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "flüstert" and "flüsterte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "flattert vs flüstert". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #858,909 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.