Which to use
“kochen” and “kochte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,506
- “kochen” frequency rank
- #37,022
- “kochte” frequency rank
- 39528
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kochen | kochte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Lebensmittel unter Einwirkung von Hitze zu einer Mahlzeit zubereiten | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kochen |
Where the eye mixes kochen and kochte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: kochen vs kochte
A purely visual mix-up. kochen ([ˈkɔxn̩]) and kochte ([ˈkɔxtə]) 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 39528, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kochen is recorded at frequency rank #2,506, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɔxn̩]. kochte is at rank #37,022, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɔxtə].
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 39528, this pair ranks #1,534,279 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kochen vs kochte
Shared letters: cehko. Private to "kochen": n. Private to "kochte": t.
"kochen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "kochte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kochen" and "kochte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kochen" or "kochte"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "kochen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kochte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,534,279 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kochen" and "kochte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kochs vs kochte". 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 #1,534,279 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.