schluckenvsschluckteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,802
“schlucken” frequency rank
#41,449
“schluckte” frequency rank
51251
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature schlucken schluckte
Definition durch Zusammenziehen der Muskeln im Hals und Mund in den Magen gelangen lassen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs schlucken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set schlucken and schluckte apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
schlucken
9 ch
schluckte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. schlucken ([ˈʃlʊkn̩]) and schluckte ([ˈʃlʊktə]) 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 51251, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

schlucken is recorded at frequency rank #9,802, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃlʊkn̩]. schluckte is at rank #41,449, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃlʊktə].

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 51251, this pair ranks #1,142,681 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of schlucken vs schluckte

Shared letters: cehklsu. Private to "schlucken": n. Private to "schluckte": t.

"schlucken" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC  ·  "schluckte" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • schluckencshlucken · scchlucken · schhlucken · schlcuken · schllucken · schluccken · schlucekn · schluckenn
  • schlucktecshluckte · scchluckte · schhluckte · schlcukte · schlluckte · schlucckte · schlucket · schluckkte

Frequency comparison

schlucken#9,802
schluckte#41,449

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "schlucken" and "schluckte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃlʊkn̩] versus [ˈʃlʊktə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "schlucken" or "schluckte"?
"schlucken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,802 in our German list, against #41,449 for "schluckte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering schlucken vs schluckte

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 “schlucken” 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