lachstvslachteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,742
“lachst” frequency rank
#13,642
“lachte” frequency rank
42384
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lachst lachte
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lachen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lachen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lachst and lachte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
lachst
6 ch
lachte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lachst ([laxst]) and lachte ([ˈlaxtə]) 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 42384, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lachst is recorded at frequency rank #28,742, classified as averb, pronounced [laxst]. lachte is at rank #13,642, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlaxtə].

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 42384, this pair ranks #1,451,061 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lachst vs lachte

Shared letters: achlt. Private to "lachst": s. Private to "lachte": e.

"lachst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "lachte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lachstalchst · lacchst · lachhst · lachsst · lachstt · lachts · lacsht · lahcst
  • lachtealchte · lacchte · lachet · lachhte · lachtte · lacthe · lahcte · lcahte

Frequency comparison

lachst#28,742
lachte#13,642

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lachst" and "lachte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([laxst] versus [ˈlaxtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lachst" or "lachte"?
"lachte" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,642 in our German list, against #28,742 for "lachst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lachst vs lachte

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 “lachst” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list