folgtenvsfügtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,609
“folgten” frequency rank
#45,292
“fügten” frequency rank
49901
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature folgten fügten
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs folgen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs fügen

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
folgten
6 ch
fügten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. folgten ([ˈfɔlktn̩]) and fügten ([ˈfyːktn̩]) 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 49901, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

folgten is recorded at frequency rank #4,609, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɔlktn̩]. fügten is at rank #45,292, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfyːktn̩].

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 49901, this pair ranks #1,194,123 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of folgten vs fügten

Shared letters: efgnt. Private to "folgten": lo. Private to "fügten": ü.

"folgten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "fügten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

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

Frequency comparison

folgten#4,609
fügten#45,292

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "folgten" and "fügten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɔlktn̩] versus [ˈfyːktn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "folgten" or "fügten"?
"folgten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,609 in our German list, against #45,292 for "fügten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering folgten vs fügten

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 “folgten” 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