Which to use
“hängen” and “hängte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,114
- “hängen” frequency rank
- #42,582
- “hängte” frequency rank
- 44696
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hängen | hängte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | an einem festen Punkt (durch das Eigengewicht nach unten baumelnd) befestigen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs hängen |
Where the eye mixes hängen and hängte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. hängen (CVCCVC) and hängte (CVCCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between hängen and hängte
A purely visual mix-up. hängen ([ˈhɛŋən]) and hängte ([ˈhɛŋtə]) 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 44696, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hängen is recorded at frequency rank #2,114, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛŋən]. hängte is at rank #42,582, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛŋtə].
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 44696, this pair ranks #1,377,747 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hängen vs hängte
Shared letters: eghnä. Private to "hängen": -. Private to "hängte": t.
"hängen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "hängte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hängen" for "hängte" ever safe?
Which is more common, "hängen" or "hängte"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "hängen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hängte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,377,747 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hängen" and "hängte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hängte vs Hengste". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,377,747 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.