Which to use
“kämpft” and “kämpfte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,368
- “kämpft” frequency rank
- #8,901
- “kämpfte” frequency rank
- 13269
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kämpft | kämpfte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen |
Where the eye mixes kämpft and kämpfte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. kämpft runs 6 letters (CVCCCC) against kämpfte's 7 (CVCCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kämpft with kämpfte
A purely visual mix-up. kämpft ([kɛmp͡ft]) 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 differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “kämpft” sits inside “kämpfte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13269, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kämpft is recorded at frequency rank #4,368, classified as averb, pronounced [kɛmp͡ft]. 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 13269, this pair ranks #1,959,028 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kämpft vs kämpfte
Shared letters: fkmptä. Private to "kämpft": -. Private to "kämpfte": e.
"kämpft" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "kämpfte" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kämpft" for "kämpfte" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kämpft" or "kämpfte"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kämpft" 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 #1,959,028 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kämpft" and "kämpfte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kämpfst vs kämpfte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,959,028 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.