jagenvsjagtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,811
“jagen” frequency rank
#41,262
“jagten” frequency rank
48073
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature jagen jagten
Definition Jagd ausüben, Tier verfolgen und erlegen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs jagen

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
jagen
6 ch
jagten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. jagen ([ˈjaːɡn̩]) and jagten ([ˈjaːktn̩]) 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 48073, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

jagen is recorded at frequency rank #6,811, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈjaːɡn̩]. jagten is at rank #41,262, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈjaːktn̩].

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 48073, this pair ranks #1,261,772 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of jagen vs jagten

Shared letters: aegjn. Private to "jagen": -. Private to "jagten": t.

"jagen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "jagten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • jagenajgen · jaegn · jagenn · jaggen · jagne · jgaen · jjagen
  • jagtenajgten · jagetn · jaggten · jagtenn · jagtne · jagtten · jatgen · jgaten

Frequency comparison

jagen#6,811
jagten#41,262

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "jagen" and "jagten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈjaːɡn̩] versus [ˈjaːktn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "jagen" or "jagten"?
"jagen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,811 in our German list, against #41,262 for "jagten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering jagen vs jagten

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 “jagen” 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