kämpfenvskämpfstWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#1,561
“kämpfen” frequency rank
#44,032
“kämpfst” frequency rank
45593
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kämpfen kämpfst
Definition verbale oder physische Auseinandersetzung zwischen Gegnern 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen

Where the eye mixes kämpfen and kämpfst

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. kämpfen (CVCCCVC) and kämpfst (CVCCCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

7 ch
kämpfen
7 ch
kämpfst

Visual trap between kämpfen and kämpfst

A purely visual mix-up. kämpfen ([ˈkɛmp͡fn̩]) and kämpfst ([kɛmp͡fst]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45593, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kämpfen is recorded at frequency rank #1,561, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛmp͡fn̩]. kämpfst is at rank #44,032, tagged as averb, pronounced [kɛmp͡fst].

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 45593, this pair ranks #1,347,774 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kämpfen vs kämpfst

Shared letters: fkmpä. Private to "kämpfen": en. Private to "kämpfst": st.

"kämpfen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "kämpfst" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "kämpfen" for "kämpfst" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɛmp͡fn̩] versus [kɛmp͡fst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kämpfen" or "kämpfst"?
"kämpfen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,561 in our German list, against #44,032 for "kämpfst". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "kämpfen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "kämpfst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,347,774 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "kämpfen" and "kämpfst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kämpfst vs kamst". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,347,774 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list