Which to use
“lächelte” is a verb and “lachende” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,354
- “lächelte” frequency rank
- #45,412
- “lachende” frequency rank
- 62766
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lächelte | lachende |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lächeln | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs lachend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lächelte and lachende apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lächelte is [ˈlɛçl̩tə] while lachende is [ˈlaxn̩də]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62766, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lächelte is recorded at frequency rank #17,354, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlɛçl̩tə]. lachende is at rank #45,412, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈlaxn̩də].
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 62766, this pair ranks #701,051 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lächelte vs lachende
Shared letters: cehl. Private to "lächelte": tä. Private to "lachende": adn.
"lächelte" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV · "lachende" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- lachende ← alchende · lacchende · lacehnde · lachedne · lachendde · lachened · lachennde · lachhende
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lächelte" and "lachende" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lächelte" or "lachende"?
Remembering lächelte vs lachende
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “lächelte”; for an adjective, it's “lachende”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lächelte” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable