lachtenvsleuchtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#28,285
“lachten” frequency rank
#8,244
“leuchten” frequency rank
36529
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lachten leuchten
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lachen Licht aussenden

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lachten and leuchten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
lachten
8 ch
leuchten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lachten ([ˈlaxtn̩]) and leuchten ([ˈlɔɪ̯çtn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36529, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lachten is recorded at frequency rank #28,285, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlaxtn̩]. leuchten is at rank #8,244, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlɔɪ̯çtn̩].

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 36529, this pair ranks #1,613,306 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lachten vs leuchten

Shared letters: cehlnt. Private to "lachten": a. Private to "leuchten": u.

"lachten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "leuchten" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lachtenalchten · lacchten · lachetn · lachhten · lachtenn · lachtne · lachtten · lacthen
  • leuchteneluchten · lecuhten · leucchten · leuchetn · leuchhten · leuchtenn · leuchtne · leuchtten

Frequency comparison

lachten#28,285
leuchten#8,244

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lachten" and "leuchten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlaxtn̩] versus [ˈlɔɪ̯çtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lachten" or "leuchten"?
"leuchten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,244 in our German list, against #28,285 for "lachten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering lachten vs leuchten

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 “lachten” 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