Which to use
“kämpfte” and “kämpften” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,901
- “kämpfte” frequency rank
- #12,117
- “kämpften” frequency rank
- 21018
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kämpfte | kämpften |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen |
Where the eye mixes kämpfte and kämpften
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. kämpfte runs 7 letters (CVCCCCV) against kämpften's 8 (CVCCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kämpfte with kämpften
A purely visual mix-up. kämpfte ([ˈkɛmp͡ftə]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “kämpfte” sits inside “kämpften”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21018, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kämpfte is recorded at frequency rank #8,901, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛmp͡ftə]. 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 21018, this pair ranks #1,891,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kämpfte vs kämpften
Shared letters: efkmptä. Private to "kämpfte": -. Private to "kämpften": n.
"kämpfte" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV · "kämpften" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kämpfte" for "kämpften" ever safe?
Frequency check: "kämpfte" vs "kämpften" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kämpfte" 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 #1,891,098 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kämpfte" and "kämpften" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kämpfst vs kämpfte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,891,098 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.