kämpfenvskämpftConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#1,561
“kämpfen” frequency rank
#4,368
“kämpft” frequency rank
5929
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kämpfen kämpft
Definition verbale oder physische Auseinandersetzung zwischen Gegnern 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen

Where the eye mixes kämpfen and kämpft

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. kämpfen runs 7 letters (CVCCCVC) against kämpft's 6 (CVCCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
kämpfen
6 ch
kämpft

Look-alike desk: kämpfen vs kämpft

A purely visual mix-up. kämpfen ([ˈkɛmp͡fn̩]) and kämpft ([kɛmp͡ft]) 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 5929, 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]. kämpft is at rank #4,368, tagged as averb, pronounced [kɛmp͡ft].

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 5929, this pair ranks #1,993,268 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of kämpfen vs kämpft

Shared letters: fkmpä. Private to "kämpfen": en. Private to "kämpft": t.

"kämpfen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "kämpft" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "kämpfen" and "kämpft" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɛmp͡fn̩] versus [kɛmp͡ft]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "kämpfen" vs "kämpft" - which ranks higher?
"kämpfen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,561 in our German list, against #4,368 for "kämpft". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

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 "kämpft" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,993,268 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "kämpfen" and "kämpft" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kalifen vs kämpfen". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,993,268 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