hängtvshängteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,558
“hängt” frequency rank
#42,582
“hängte” frequency rank
44140
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hängt hängte
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hängen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs hängen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hängt and hängte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
hängt
6 ch
hängte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. hängt ([hɛŋt]) 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 differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “hängt” sits inside “hängte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hängt is recorded at frequency rank #1,558, classified as averb, pronounced [hɛŋt]. 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 44140, this pair ranks #1,395,733 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of hängt vs hängte

Shared letters: ghntä. Private to "hängt": -. Private to "hängte": e.

"hängt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "hängte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV

Frequency comparison

hängt#1,558
hängte#42,582

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hängt" and "hängte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([hɛŋt] versus [ˈhɛŋtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "hängt" or "hängte"?
"hängt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,558 in our German list, against #42,582 for "hängte". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering hängt vs hängte

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 “hängt” 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