hegtvshetztWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#25,588
“hegt” frequency rank
#23,563
“hetzt” frequency rank
49151
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hegt hetzt
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hegen 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hetzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hegt and hetzt apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
hegt
5 ch
hetzt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. hegt ([heːkt]) and hetzt ([hɛt͡st]) 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 49151, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hegt is recorded at frequency rank #25,588, classified as averb, pronounced [heːkt]. hetzt is at rank #23,563, tagged as averb, pronounced [hɛt͡st].

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 49151, this pair ranks #1,222,262 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of hegt vs hetzt

Shared letters: eht. Private to "hegt": g. Private to "hetzt": z.

"hegt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "hetzt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • hegtehgt · heggt · hegtt · hetg · hget · hhegt
  • hetztehtzt · hettz · hettzt · hetztt · hetzzt · heztt · hhetzt · htezt

Frequency comparison

hegt#25,588
hetzt#23,563

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hegt" and "hetzt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([heːkt] versus [hɛt͡st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "hegt" or "hetzt"?
"hetzt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #23,563 in our German list, against #25,588 for "hegt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hegt vs hetzt

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 “hegt” 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