Which to use
“kündigen” and “kündigten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,639
- “kündigen” frequency rank
- #41,304
- “kündigten” frequency rank
- 48943
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kündigen | kündigten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Vertrag/eine Vertragsbeziehung einseitig beenden | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kündigen |
Where the eye mixes kündigen and kündigten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. kündigen runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against kündigten's 9 (CVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kündigen with kündigten
A purely visual mix-up. kündigen ([ˈkʏndɪɡn̩]) and kündigten ([ˈkʏndɪçtn̩]) 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 48943, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kündigen is recorded at frequency rank #7,639, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkʏndɪɡn̩]. kündigten is at rank #41,304, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkʏndɪçtn̩].
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 48943, this pair ranks #1,229,826 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kündigen vs kündigten
Shared letters: degiknü. Private to "kündigen": -. Private to "kündigten": t.
"kündigen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "kündigten" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kündigen" and "kündigten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kündigen" or "kündigten"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kündigen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kündigten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,229,826 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kündigen" and "kündigten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kündigten vs Kundinnen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,229,826 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.