Which to use
“löschen” and “löschte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,388
- “löschen” frequency rank
- #37,661
- “löschte” frequency rank
- 41049
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | löschen | löschte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein Feuer vernichten | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs löschen |
Where the eye mixes löschen and löschte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. löschen (CVCCCVC) and löschte (CVCCCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between löschen and löschte
A purely visual mix-up. löschen ([ˈlœʃn̩]) and löschte ([ˈlœʃtə]) 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 41049, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
löschen is recorded at frequency rank #3,388, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈlœʃn̩]. löschte is at rank #37,661, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlœʃtə].
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 41049, this pair ranks #1,490,819 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of löschen vs löschte
Shared letters: cehlsö. Private to "löschen": n. Private to "löschte": t.
"löschen" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "löschte" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "löschen" for "löschte" ever safe?
Frequency check: "löschen" vs "löschte" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "löschen" and "löschte" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "löschen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "löschte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,490,819 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "löschen" and "löschte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lauschte vs löschte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,490,819 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.