folgtenvsfülltenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,609
“folgten” frequency rank
#32,541
“füllten” frequency rank
37150
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature folgten füllten
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs folgen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs füllen

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
folgten
7 ch
füllten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. folgten ([ˈfɔlktn̩]) and füllten ([ˈfʏltn̩]) 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 37150, 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]. füllten is at rank #32,541, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfʏltn̩].

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 37150, this pair ranks #1,597,555 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of folgten vs füllten

Shared letters: eflnt. Private to "folgten": go. Private to "füllten": ü.

"folgten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "füllten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

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

Frequency comparison

folgten#4,609
füllten#32,541

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "folgten" and "füllten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɔlktn̩] versus [ˈfʏltn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "folgten" or "füllten"?
"folgten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,609 in our German list, against #32,541 for "füllten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering folgten vs füllten

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