öffnevsöffneteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,081
“öffne” frequency rank
#8,668
“öffnete” frequency rank
21749
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature öffne öffnete
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs öffnen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs öffnen

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
öffne
7 ch
öffnete

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

öffne and öffnete form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “öffne” sits inside “öffnete” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 21749, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

öffne is recorded at frequency rank #13,081, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈœfnə]. öffnete is at rank #8,668, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈœfnətə].

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 21749, this pair ranks #1,882,609 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

öffne#13,081
öffnete#8,668

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "öffne" and "öffnete" be used interchangeably?
No, "öffne" and "öffnete" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering öffne vs öffnete

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 “öffne” 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