nutztvsnutzteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,671
“nutzt” frequency rank
#7,089
“nutzte” frequency rank
9760
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature nutzt nutzte
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs nutzen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs nutzen

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
nutzt
6 ch
nutzte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. nutzt ([nʊt͡st]) and nutzte ([ˈnʊt͡stə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “nutzt” sits inside “nutzte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9760, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

nutzt is recorded at frequency rank #2,671, classified as averb, pronounced [nʊt͡st]. nutzte is at rank #7,089, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈnʊt͡stə].

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 9760, this pair ranks #1,978,426 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of nutzt vs nutzte

Shared letters: ntuz. Private to "nutzt": -. Private to "nutzte": e.

"nutzt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "nutzte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • nutztnnutzt · ntuzt · nuttz · nuttzt · nutztt · nutzzt · nuztt · untzt
  • nutztennutzte · ntuzte · nuttzte · nutzet · nutztte · nutzzte · nuztte · untzte

Frequency comparison

nutzt#2,671
nutzte#7,089

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "nutzt" and "nutzte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([nʊt͡st] versus [ˈnʊt͡stə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "nutzt" or "nutzte"?
"nutzt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,671 in our German list, against #7,089 for "nutzte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering nutzt vs nutzte

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 “nutzt” 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