Which to use
“genügen” and “genügte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,479
- “genügen” frequency rank
- #30,573
- “genügte” frequency rank
- 41052
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | genügen | genügte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | für einen bestimmten Zweck in ausreichendem Maß zur Verfügung stehen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs genügen |
Where the eye mixes genügen and genügte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. genügen (CVCVCVC) and genügte (CVCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses genügen with genügte
A purely visual mix-up. genügen ([ɡəˈnyːɡn̩]) and genügte ([ɡəˈnyːktə]) 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 41052, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
genügen is recorded at frequency rank #10,479, classified as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈnyːɡn̩]. genügte is at rank #30,573, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɡəˈnyːktə].
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 41052, this pair ranks #1,490,739 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of genügen vs genügte
Shared letters: egnü. Private to "genügen": -. Private to "genügte": t.
"genügen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "genügte" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "genügen" and "genügte" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "genügen" vs "genügte" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "genügen" and "genügte" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "genügen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "genügte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,490,739 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "genügen" and "genügte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "genügte vs Genüsse". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,490,739 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.