Which to use
“klopfen” and “klopfte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,745
- “klopfen” frequency rank
- #33,670
- “klopfte” frequency rank
- 46415
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klopfen | klopfte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | durch periodische Bewegung ein rhythmisches Geräusch erzeugen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klopfen |
Where the eye mixes klopfen and klopfte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. klopfen (CCVCCVC) and klopfte (CCVCCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: klopfen vs klopfte
A purely visual mix-up. klopfen ([ˈklɔp͡fn̩]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46415, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
klopfen is recorded at frequency rank #12,745, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈklɔp͡fn̩]. 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 46415, this pair ranks #1,319,902 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of klopfen vs klopfte
Shared letters: efklop. Private to "klopfen": n. Private to "klopfte": t.
"klopfen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "klopfte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "klopfen" and "klopfte" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "klopfen" vs "klopfte" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "klopfen" 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 #1,319,902 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klopfen" and "klopfte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klopf vs klopfte". 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 #1,319,902 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.