Which to use
“kümmern” and “kümmerte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,402
- “kümmern” frequency rank
- #14,616
- “kümmerte” frequency rank
- 17018
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kümmern | kümmerte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | reflexiv, mit „um“: für jemanden sorgen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kümmern |
Where the eye mixes kümmern and kümmerte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. kümmern runs 7 letters (CVCCVCC) against kümmerte's 8 (CVCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kümmern with kümmerte
A purely visual mix-up. kümmern ([ˈkʏmɐn]) and kümmerte ([ˈkʏmɐtə]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17018, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kümmern is recorded at frequency rank #2,402, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkʏmɐn]. kümmerte is at rank #14,616, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkʏmɐtə].
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 17018, this pair ranks #1,931,065 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kümmern vs kümmerte
Shared letters: ekmrü. Private to "kümmern": n. Private to "kümmerte": t.
"kümmern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "kümmerte" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "kümmern" and "kümmerte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "kümmern" vs "kümmerte" - which ranks higher?
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 "kümmern" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kümmerte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,931,065 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kümmern" and "kümmerte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kümmerte vs kümmerten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,931,065 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.