Which to use
“schimpfen” and “schimpfte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,381
- “schimpfen” frequency rank
- #40,820
- “schimpfte” frequency rank
- 59201
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schimpfen | schimpfte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (einer anderen Person) seinen Ärger kundtun | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs schimpfen |
Where the eye mixes schimpfen and schimpfte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between schimpfen and schimpfte
A purely visual mix-up. schimpfen ([ˈʃɪmp͡fn̩]) and schimpfte ([ˈʃɪmp͡ftə]) 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 59201, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schimpfen is recorded at frequency rank #18,381, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɪmp͡fn̩]. schimpfte is at rank #40,820, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃɪmp͡ftə].
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 59201, this pair ranks #833,467 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of schimpfen vs schimpfte
Shared letters: cefhimps. Private to "schimpfen": n. Private to "schimpfte": t.
"schimpfen" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCCVC · "schimpfte" · 9 letters · shape CCCVCCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "schimpfen" and "schimpfte" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "schimpfen" vs "schimpfte" - which ranks higher?
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 "schimpfen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schimpfte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #833,467 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schimpfen" and "schimpfte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schimpfte vs schlüpfte". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #833,467 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.