Which to use
“funktionieren” and “funktionierten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,544
- “funktionieren” frequency rank
- #47,409
- “funktionierten” frequency rank
- 49953
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | funktionieren | funktionierten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | vorschriftsmäßig arbeiten | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs funktionieren |
Where the eye mixes funktionieren and funktionierten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. funktionieren runs 13 letters (CVCCCVVCVVCVC) against funktionierten's 14 (CVCCCVVCVVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: funktionieren vs funktionierten
A purely visual mix-up. funktionieren ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁən]) and funktionierten ([fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːɐ̯tn̩]) 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 49953, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
funktionieren is recorded at frequency rank #2,544, classified as averb, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːʁən]. funktionierten is at rank #47,409, tagged as averb, pronounced [fʊŋkt͡si̯oˈniːɐ̯tn̩].
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 49953, this pair ranks #1,192,198 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of funktionieren vs funktionierten
Shared letters: efiknortu. Private to "funktionieren": -. Private to "funktionierten": -.
"funktionieren" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVVCVC · "funktionierten" · 14 letters · shape CVCCCVVCVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- funktionieren ← ffunktionieren · fnuktionieren · fukntionieren · funkitonieren · funkktionieren · funktinoieren · funktioineren · funktioneiren
- funktionierten ← ffunktionierten · fnuktionierten · fukntionierten · funkitonierten · funkktionierten · funktinoierten · funktioinerten · funktioneirten
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "funktionieren" and "funktionierten" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "funktionieren" vs "funktionierten" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "funktionieren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "funktionierten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,192,198 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "funktionieren" and "funktionierten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "funktioniere vs funktionierten". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,192,198 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.