schafftenvsschätztenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,989
“schafften” frequency rank
#46,268
“schätzten” frequency rank
62257
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schafften schätzten
Definition 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs schaffen 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs schätzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schafften and schätzten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
schafften
9 ch
schätzten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schafften ([ˈʃaftn̩]) and schätzten ([ˈʃɛt͡stn̩]) 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 62257, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schafften is recorded at frequency rank #15,989, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃaftn̩]. schätzten is at rank #46,268, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɛt͡stn̩].

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 62257, this pair ranks #719,591 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of schafften vs schätzten

Shared letters: cehnst. Private to "schafften": af. Private to "schätzten": .

"schafften" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCCVC  ·  "schätzten" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schafftencshafften · scahfften · scchafften · schaffetn · schafftenn · schafftne · schafftten · schaften

Frequency comparison

schafften#15,989
schätzten#46,268

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schafften" and "schätzten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃaftn̩] versus [ˈʃɛt͡stn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schafften" or "schätzten"?
"schafften" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,989 in our German list, against #46,268 for "schätzten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schafften vs schätzten

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 “schafften” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list