kämpfstvskämpfteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#44,032
“kämpfst” frequency rank
#8,901
“kämpfte” frequency rank
52933
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kämpfst kämpfte
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen

Where the eye mixes kämpfst and kämpfte

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

7 ch
kämpfst
7 ch
kämpfte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kämpfst ([kɛmp͡fst]) and kämpfte ([ˈkɛmp͡ftə]) 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 52933, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kämpfst is recorded at frequency rank #44,032, classified as averb, pronounced [kɛmp͡fst]. kämpfte is at rank #8,901, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛmp͡ftə].

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 52933, this pair ranks #1,077,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kämpfst vs kämpfte

Shared letters: fkmptä. Private to "kämpfst": s. Private to "kämpfte": e.

"kämpfst" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCC  ·  "kämpfte" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kämpfst" and "kämpfte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɛmp͡fst] versus [ˈkɛmp͡ftə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kämpfst" or "kämpfte"?
"kämpfte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,901 in our German list, against #44,032 for "kämpfst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

You've compared "kämpfst" and "kämpfte". Here's where to go from here.

  • Full dictionary entry for "kämpfst" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "kämpfte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,077,631 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "kämpfst" and "kämpfte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kämpfst vs kamst". Nearby pair

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list