Which to use
“kämpft” and “kämpften” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,368
- “kämpft” frequency rank
- #12,117
- “kämpften” frequency rank
- 16485
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kämpft | kämpften |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen |
Where the eye mixes kämpft and kämpften
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. kämpft runs 6 letters (CVCCCC) against kämpften's 8 (CVCCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: kämpft vs kämpften
A purely visual mix-up. kämpft ([kɛmp͡ft]) and kämpften ([ˈkɛmp͡ftn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “kämpft” sits inside “kämpften”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16485, 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]. kämpften is at rank #12,117, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛmp͡ftn̩].
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 16485, this pair ranks #1,935,448 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kämpft vs kämpften
Shared letters: fkmptä. Private to "kämpft": -. Private to "kämpften": en.
"kämpft" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "kämpften" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kämpft" for "kämpften" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kämpft" or "kämpften"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "kämpft" and "kämpften" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "kämpft" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kämpften" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,935,448 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kämpft" and "kämpften" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kämpfst vs kämpft". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,935,448 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.