glänztevsglänztenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,211
“glänzte” frequency rank
#49,743
“glänzten” frequency rank
84954
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature glänzte glänzten
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs glänzen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs glänzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set glänzte and glänzten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
glänzte
8 ch
glänzten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. glänzte ([ˈɡlɛnt͡stə]) and glänzten ([ˈɡlɛnt͡stn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “glänzte” sits inside “glänzten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 84954, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

glänzte is recorded at frequency rank #35,211, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈɡlɛnt͡stə]. 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 84954, this pair ranks #115,667 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of glänzte vs glänzten

Shared letters: eglntzä. Private to "glänzte": -. Private to "glänzten": -.

"glänzte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV  ·  "glänzten" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCCVC

Frequency comparison

glänzte#35,211
glänzten#49,743

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "glänzte" and "glänzten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡlɛnt͡stə] versus [ˈɡlɛnt͡stn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "glänzte" or "glänzten"?
"glänzte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #35,211 in our German list, against #49,743 for "glänzten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering glänzte vs glänzten

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 “glänzte” 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