Which to use
“öffnen” and “öffnete” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,007
- “öffnen” frequency rank
- #8,668
- “öffnete” frequency rank
- 10675
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | öffnen | öffnete |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas aufmachen; offen machen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs öffnen |
Where the eye mixes öffnen and öffnete
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. öffnen runs 6 letters (VCCCVC) against öffnete's 7 (VCCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between öffnen and öffnete
A purely visual mix-up. öffnen ([ˈœfnən]) and öffnete ([ˈœfnətə]) 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 10675, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
öffnen is recorded at frequency rank #2,007, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈœfnən]. 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 10675, this pair ranks #1,973,920 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of öffnen vs öffnete
Shared letters: efnö. Private to "öffnen": -. Private to "öffnete": t.
"öffnen" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC · "öffnete" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "öffnen" and "öffnete" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "öffnen" or "öffnete" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "öffnen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "öffnete" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,973,920 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "öffnen" and "öffnete" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "offerte vs öffnete". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,973,920 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.