fügtenvsfütternWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#45,292
“fügten” frequency rank
#11,238
“füttern” frequency rank
56530
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fügten füttern
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs fügen einem Tier Nahrung geben

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
fügten
7 ch
füttern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fügten ([ˈfyːktn̩]) and füttern ([ˈfʏtɐn]) 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 56530, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fügten is recorded at frequency rank #45,292, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfyːktn̩]. füttern is at rank #11,238, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfʏtɐn].

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 56530, this pair ranks #936,622 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of fügten vs füttern

Shared letters: efntü. Private to "fügten": g. Private to "füttern": r.

"fügten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "füttern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Frequency comparison

fügten#45,292
füttern#11,238

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fügten" and "füttern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfyːktn̩] versus [ˈfʏtɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fügten" or "füttern"?
"füttern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,238 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 fügten vs füttern

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 “fügten” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list