hängtevshärteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#42,582
“hängte” frequency rank
#9,738
“härte” frequency rank
52320
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hängte härte
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs hängen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs härten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hängte and härte apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
hängte
5 ch
härte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. hängte ([ˈhɛŋtə]) and härte ([ˈhɛʁtə]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52320, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hängte is recorded at frequency rank #42,582, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛŋtə]. härte is at rank #9,738, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtə].

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 52320, this pair ranks #1,101,380 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of hängte vs härte

Shared letters: ehtä. Private to "hängte": gn. Private to "härte": r.

"hängte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV  ·  "härte" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Frequency comparison

hängte#42,582
härte#9,738

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hängte" and "härte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhɛŋtə] versus [ˈhɛʁtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "hängte" or "härte"?
"härte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,738 in our German list, against #42,582 for "hängte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hängte vs härte

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 “hängte” 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