kennenlernenvskennenlernteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,530
“kennenlernen” frequency rank
#28,729
“kennenlernte” frequency rank
33259
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kennenlernen kennenlernte
Definition sich mit jemandem bekannt machen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs kennenlernen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kennenlernen and kennenlernte apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

12 ch
kennenlernen
12 ch
kennenlernte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kennenlernen ([ˈkɛnənˌlɛʁnən]) and kennenlernte ([ˈkɛnənˌlɛʁntə]) 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 33259, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kennenlernen is recorded at frequency rank #4,530, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛnənˌlɛʁnən]. kennenlernte is at rank #28,729, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛnənˌlɛʁntə].

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 33259, this pair ranks #1,689,884 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of kennenlernen vs kennenlernte

Shared letters: eklnr. Private to "kennenlernen": -. Private to "kennenlernte": t.

"kennenlernen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCCVC  ·  "kennenlernte" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kennenlerneneknnenlernen · kenenlernen · kenennlernen · kennelnernen · kennenelrnen · kennenlenren · kennenlerenn · kennenlernenn
  • kennenlernteeknnenlernte · kenenlernte · kenennlernte · kennelnernte · kennenelrnte · kennenlenrte · kennenlernet · kennenlernnte

Frequency comparison

kennenlernen#4,530
kennenlernte#28,729

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kennenlernen" and "kennenlernte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɛnənˌlɛʁnən] versus [ˈkɛnənˌlɛʁntə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kennenlernen" or "kennenlernte"?
"kennenlernen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,530 in our German list, against #28,729 for "kennenlernte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kennenlernen vs kennenlernte

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 “kennenlernen” 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