rührtvsruhteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#11,512
“rührt” frequency rank
#36,599
“ruhte” frequency rank
48111
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature rührt ruhte
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs rühren 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ruhen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set rührt and ruhte apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
rührt
5 ch
ruhte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. rührt ([ʁyːɐ̯t]) and ruhte ([ˈʁuːtə]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48111, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

rührt is recorded at frequency rank #11,512, classified as averb, pronounced [ʁyːɐ̯t]. ruhte is at rank #36,599, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʁuːtə].

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 48111, this pair ranks #1,260,433 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of rührt vs ruhte

Shared letters: hrt. Private to "rührt": ü. Private to "ruhte": eu.

"rührt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "ruhte" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • ruhterhute · rruhte · ruhet · ruhhte · ruhtte · ruthe · urhte

Frequency comparison

rührt#11,512
ruhte#36,599

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "rührt" and "ruhte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʁyːɐ̯t] versus [ˈʁuːtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "rührt" or "ruhte"?
"rührt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,512 in our German list, against #36,599 for "ruhte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering rührt vs ruhte

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 “rührt” 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