Which to use
“klopft” and “klopfte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,298
- “klopft” frequency rank
- #33,670
- “klopfte” frequency rank
- 51968
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klopft | klopfte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klopfen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klopfen |
Where the eye mixes klopft and klopfte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: klopft vs klopfte
A purely visual mix-up. klopft ([klɔp͡ft]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “klopft” sits inside “klopfte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51968, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
klopft is recorded at frequency rank #18,298, classified as averb, pronounced [klɔp͡ft]. 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 51968, this pair ranks #1,115,027 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of klopft vs klopfte
Shared letters: fklopt. Private to "klopft": -. Private to "klopfte": e.
"klopft" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC · "klopfte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "klopft" for "klopfte" ever safe?
Which is more common, "klopft" or "klopfte"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "klopft" 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 #1,115,027 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klopft" 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 #1,115,027 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.