Which to use
“kümmern” and “kümmerten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,402
- “kümmern” frequency rank
- #37,641
- “kümmerten” frequency rank
- 40043
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kümmern | kümmerten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | reflexiv, mit „um“: für jemanden sorgen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kümmern |
Where the eye mixes kümmern and kümmerten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. kümmern runs 7 letters (CVCCVCC) against kümmerten's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: kümmern vs kümmerten
A purely visual mix-up. kümmern ([ˈkʏmɐn]) and kümmerten ([ˈkʏmɐtn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40043, 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]. kümmerten is at rank #37,641, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkʏmɐtn̩].
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 40043, this pair ranks #1,519,620 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kümmern vs kümmerten
Shared letters: ekmnrü. Private to "kümmern": -. Private to "kümmerten": t.
"kümmern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "kümmerten" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kümmern" for "kümmerten" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "kümmern" or "kümmerten" show up more?
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 "kümmern" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kümmerten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,519,620 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kümmern" and "kümmerten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kümmere vs kümmerten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,519,620 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.