sammelnvssammleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,784
“sammeln” frequency rank
#23,293
“sammle” frequency rank
26077
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sammeln sammle
Definition systematisch suchen, erhalten und aufbewahren einer abgegrenzten Art beziehungsweise Kategorie bestimmter Gegenstände oder Informationen 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs sammeln

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sammeln and sammle apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
sammeln
6 ch
sammle

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sammeln ([ˈzaml̩n]) and sammle ([ˈzamlə]) 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 26077, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sammeln is recorded at frequency rank #2,784, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzaml̩n]. sammle is at rank #23,293, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzamlə].

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 26077, this pair ranks #1,823,511 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of sammeln vs sammle

Shared letters: aelms. Private to "sammeln": n. Private to "sammle": -.

"sammeln" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "sammle" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sammelnasmmeln · sameln · samemln · sammelln · sammelnn · sammenl · sammlen · smameln
  • sammleasmmle · samle · samlme · sammlle · smamle · ssammle

Frequency comparison

sammeln#2,784
sammle#23,293

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sammeln" and "sammle" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈzaml̩n] versus [ˈzamlə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sammeln" or "sammle"?
"sammeln" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,784 in our German list, against #23,293 for "sammle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sammeln vs sammle

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 “sammeln” 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