Which to use
“härte” and “härten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,738
- “härte” frequency rank
- #47,493
- “härten” frequency rank
- 57231
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | härte | härten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs härten | transitiv: |
Where the eye mixes härte and härten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. härte runs 5 letters (CVCCV) against härten's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses härte with härten
A purely visual mix-up. härte ([ˈhɛʁtə]) and härten ([ˈhɛʁtn̩]) 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) - “härte” sits inside “härten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57231, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
härte is recorded at frequency rank #9,738, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtə]. härten is at rank #47,493, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈhɛʁtn̩].
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 57231, this pair ranks #909,419 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of härte vs härten
Shared letters: ehrtä. Private to "härte": -. Private to "härten": n.
"härte" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "härten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "härte" and "härten" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "härte" vs "härten" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "härte" and "härten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "härte" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "härten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #909,419 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "härte" and "härten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "harren vs härten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #909,419 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.