folgenvsfolgstWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#566
“folgen” frequency rank
#16,425
“folgst” frequency rank
16991
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature folgen folgst
Definition jemandem oder etwas hinterhergehen oder auch hinterherfahren 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs folgen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set folgen and folgst apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
folgen
6 ch
folgst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. folgen ([ˈfɔlɡn̩]) and folgst ([fɔlkst]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16991, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

folgen is recorded at frequency rank #566, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɔlɡn̩]. folgst is at rank #16,425, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɔlkst].

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 16991, this pair ranks #1,931,297 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of folgen vs folgst

Shared letters: fglo. Private to "folgen": en. Private to "folgst": st.

"folgen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "folgst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • folgenffolgen · foglen · folegn · folgenn · folggen · folgne · follgen · oflgen
  • folgstffolgst · flogst · foglst · folggst · folgsst · folgstt · folgts · follgst

Frequency comparison

folgen#566
folgst#16,425

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "folgen" and "folgst" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɔlɡn̩] versus [fɔlkst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "folgen" or "folgst"?
"folgen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #566 in our German list, against #16,425 for "folgst". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering folgen vs folgst

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 “folgen” 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