Which to use
“lächelnd” and “lächelte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,066
- “lächelnd” frequency rank
- #17,354
- “lächelte” frequency rank
- 34420
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lächelnd | lächelte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Präsens des Verbs lächeln | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lächeln |
Where the eye mixes lächelnd and lächelte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. lächelnd (CVCCVCCC) and lächelte (CVCCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: lächelnd vs lächelte
A purely visual mix-up. lächelnd ([ˈlɛçl̩nt]) and lächelte ([ˈlɛçl̩tə]) 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 34420, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lächelnd is recorded at frequency rank #17,066, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩nt]. lächelte is at rank #17,354, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩tə].
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 34420, this pair ranks #1,663,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lächelnd vs lächelte
Shared letters: cehlä. Private to "lächelnd": dn. Private to "lächelte": t.
"lächelnd" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC · "lächelte" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lächelnd" for "lächelte" ever safe?
Which is more common, "lächelnd" or "lächelte"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "lächelnd" and "lächelte" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "lächelnd" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lächelte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,663,748 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lächelnd" and "lächelte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lächelst vs lächelte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,663,748 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.