Which to use
“prüfen” and “prüfte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,781
- “prüfen” frequency rank
- #33,241
- “prüfte” frequency rank
- 36022
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | prüfen | prüfte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | feststellen, inwiefern einer Bedingung genügt wird | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs prüfen |
Where the eye mixes prüfen and prüfte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. prüfen (CCVCVC) and prüfte (CCVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between prüfen and prüfte
A purely visual mix-up. prüfen ([ˈpʁyːfn̩]) and prüfte ([ˈpʁyːftə]) 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 36022, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
prüfen is recorded at frequency rank #2,781, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈpʁyːfn̩]. prüfte is at rank #33,241, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈpʁyːftə].
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 36022, this pair ranks #1,625,920 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of prüfen vs prüfte
Shared letters: efprü. Private to "prüfen": n. Private to "prüfte": t.
"prüfen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "prüfte" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "prüfen" and "prüfte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "prüfen" or "prüfte"?
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 "prüfen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "prüfte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,625,920 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "prüfen" and "prüfte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "prüf vs prüfte". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,625,920 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.