Which to use
“glänzend” is an adjective and “glänzten” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,293
- “glänzend” frequency rank
- #49,743
- “glänzten” frequency rank
- 62036
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | glänzend | glänzten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine reflektierende Oberfläche besitzend; etwas, das glänzt, schimmert, leuchtet | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs glänzen |
Where the eye mixes glänzend and glänzten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. glänzend (CCVCCVCC) and glänzten (CCVCCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses glänzend with glänzten
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: glänzend is [ˈɡlɛnt͡sn̩t] while glänzten is [ˈɡlɛnt͡stn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62036, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
glänzend is recorded at frequency rank #12,293, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈɡlɛnt͡sn̩t]. glänzten is at rank #49,743, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɡlɛnt͡stn̩].
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 62036, this pair ranks #727,559 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of glänzend vs glänzten
Shared letters: eglnzä. Private to "glänzend": d. Private to "glänzten": t.
"glänzend" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCC · "glänzten" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "glänzend" for "glänzten" ever safe?
Frequency check: "glänzend" vs "glänzten" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "glänzend" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "glänzten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #727,559 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "glänzend" and "glänzten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "glänzte vs glänzten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #727,559 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.