Which to use
“quälen” and “quält” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,188
- “quälen” frequency rank
- #28,340
- “quält” frequency rank
- 43528
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | quälen | quält |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | absichtlich Schmerzen zufügen, leiden machen | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs quälen |
Where the eye mixes quälen and quält
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. quälen runs 6 letters (CVVCVC) against quält's 5 (CVVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between quälen and quält
A purely visual mix-up. quälen ([ˈkvɛːlən]) and quält ([kvɛːlt]) 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 43528, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
quälen is recorded at frequency rank #15,188, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkvɛːlən]. quält is at rank #28,340, tagged as averb, pronounced [kvɛːlt].
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 43528, this pair ranks #1,415,231 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of quälen vs quält
Shared letters: lquä. Private to "quälen": en. Private to "quält": t.
"quälen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "quält" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "quälen" for "quält" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "quälen" or "quält" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "quälen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "quält" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,415,231 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "quälen" and "quält" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "quält vs Quint". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,415,231 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.