klagtevsklagtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,599
“klagte” frequency rank
#45,387
“klagten” frequency rank
63986
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klagte klagten
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klagen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klagen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set klagte and klagten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
klagte
7 ch
klagten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. klagte ([ˈklaːktə]) and klagten ([ˈklaːktn̩]) 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) - “klagte” sits inside “klagten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63986, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

klagte is recorded at frequency rank #18,599, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈklaːktə]. klagten is at rank #45,387, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklaːktn̩].

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 63986, this pair ranks #657,351 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klagte vs klagten

Shared letters: aegklt. Private to "klagte": -. Private to "klagten": n.

"klagte" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV  ·  "klagten" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klagtekalgte · kklagte · klaget · klaggte · klagtte · klatge · klgate · kllagte
  • klagtenkalgten · kklagten · klagetn · klaggten · klagtenn · klagtne · klagtten · klatgen

Frequency comparison

klagte#18,599
klagten#45,387

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klagte" and "klagten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈklaːktə] versus [ˈklaːktn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "klagte" or "klagten"?
"klagte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,599 in our German list, against #45,387 for "klagten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering klagte vs klagten

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 “klagte” 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