optimierenvsoptimiertWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

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

#14,644
“optimieren” frequency rank
#16,242
“optimiert” frequency rank
30886
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature optimieren optimiert
Definition etwas weiter verbessern, so weit es nötig und auch möglich ist; etwas in den bestmöglichen Zustand versetzen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs optimieren

Where the eye mixes optimieren and optimiert

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.

10 ch
optimieren
9 ch
optimiert

Visual trap between optimieren and optimiert

A purely visual mix-up. optimieren ([ɔptiˈmiːʁən]) and optimiert ([ɔptiˈmiːɐ̯t]) 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 30886, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

optimieren is recorded at frequency rank #14,644, classified as averb, pronounced [ɔptiˈmiːʁən]. optimiert is at rank #16,242, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɔptiˈmiːɐ̯t].

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 30886, this pair ranks #1,739,142 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of optimieren vs optimiert

Shared letters: eimoprt. Private to "optimieren": n. Private to "optimiert": -.

"optimieren" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVVCVC  ·  "optimiert" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • optimierenopitmieren · opptimieren · optiimeren · optimeiren · optimieern · optimierenn · optimierne · optimierren
  • optimiertopitmiert · opptimiert · optiimert · optimeirt · optimierrt · optimiertt · optimietr · optimiret

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "optimieren" and "optimiert" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɔptiˈmiːʁən] versus [ɔptiˈmiːɐ̯t]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "optimieren" vs "optimiert" - which ranks higher?
"optimieren" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,644 in our German list, against #16,242 for "optimiert". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "optimieren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "optimiert" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,739,142 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "optimieren" and "optimiert" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "optimiert vs optimierte". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,739,142 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list