Which to use
“klopf” and “klopfte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,871
- “klopf” frequency rank
- #33,670
- “klopfte” frequency rank
- 69541
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klopf | klopfte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klopfen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klopfen |
Where the eye mixes klopf and klopfte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. klopf runs 5 letters (CCVCC) against klopfte's 7 (CCVCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between klopf and klopfte
A purely visual mix-up. klopf ([klɔp͡f]) and klopfte ([ˈklɔp͡ftə]) 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) - “klopf” sits inside “klopfte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69541, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
klopf is recorded at frequency rank #35,871, classified as averb, pronounced [klɔp͡f]. klopfte is at rank #33,670, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklɔp͡ftə].
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 69541, this pair ranks #473,425 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of klopf vs klopfte
Shared letters: fklop. Private to "klopf": -. Private to "klopfte": et.
"klopf" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "klopfte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "klopf" and "klopfte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "klopf" vs "klopfte" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "klopf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "klopfte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #473,425 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klopf" and "klopfte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klipp vs klopf". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #473,425 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.