Which to use
“lächelst” and “lächelte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,437
- “lächelst” frequency rank
- #17,354
- “lächelte” frequency rank
- 62791
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lächelst | lächelte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lächeln | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lächeln |
Where the eye mixes lächelst and lächelte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. lächelst (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: lächelst vs lächelte
A purely visual mix-up. lächelst ([ˈlɛçl̩st]) 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 62791, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lächelst is recorded at frequency rank #45,437, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩st]. 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 62791, this pair ranks #700,109 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lächelst vs lächelte
Shared letters: cehltä. Private to "lächelst": s. Private to "lächelte": -.
"lächelst" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC · "lächelte" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "lächelst" and "lächelte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "lächelst" vs "lächelte" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "lächelst" 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 #700,109 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lächelst" and "lächelte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lächelst vs lachst". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #700,109 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.