lächeltvslachtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“lächelt” and “lacht” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#11,925
“lächelt” frequency rank
#3,827
“lacht” frequency rank
15752
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lächelt lacht
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lächeln 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lachen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lächelt and lacht apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
lächelt
5 ch
lacht

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lächelt ([ˈlɛçl̩t]) and lacht ([laxt]) 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 15752, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lächelt is recorded at frequency rank #11,925, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩t]. lacht is at rank #3,827, tagged as averb, pronounced [laxt].

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 15752, this pair ranks #1,941,418 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lächelt vs lacht

Shared letters: chlt. Private to "lächelt": . Private to "lacht": a.

"lächelt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "lacht" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lachtalcht · laccht · lachht · lachtt · lacth · lahct · lcaht · llacht

Frequency comparison

lächelt#11,925
lacht#3,827

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lächelt" and "lacht" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlɛçl̩t] versus [laxt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lächelt" or "lacht"?
"lacht" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,827 in our German list, against #11,925 for "lächelt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lächelt vs lacht

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lächelt” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list