kämpftvskauftWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,368
“kämpft” frequency rank
#3,536
“kauft” frequency rank
7904
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kämpft kauft
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kaufen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kämpft and kauft apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
kämpft
5 ch
kauft

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kämpft ([kɛmp͡ft]) and kauft ([kaʊ̯ft]) 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 7904, 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]. kauft is at rank #3,536, tagged as averb, pronounced [kaʊ̯ft].

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 7904, this pair ranks #1,986,398 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of kämpft vs kauft

Shared letters: fkt. Private to "kämpft": mpä. Private to "kauft": au.

"kämpft" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "kauft" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kauftakuft · kafut · kaufft · kauftt · kautf · kkauft · kuaft

Frequency comparison

kämpft#4,368
kauft#3,536

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kämpft" and "kauft" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɛmp͡ft] versus [kaʊ̯ft]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kämpft" or "kauft"?
"kauft" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,536 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.

Remembering kämpft vs kauft

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kämpft” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list