Which to use
“schmecken” and “schmeckte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,114
- “schmecken” frequency rank
- #27,039
- “schmeckte” frequency rank
- 32153
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | schmecken | schmeckte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | den Geschmackssinn anwenden, etwas mit dem Geschmackssinn prüfen, wahrnehmen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs schmecken |
Where the eye mixes schmecken and schmeckte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. schmecken (CCCCVCCVC) and schmeckte (CCCCVCCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses schmecken with schmeckte
A purely visual mix-up. schmecken ([ˈʃmɛkn̩]) and schmeckte ([ˈʃmɛktə]) 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 32153, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
schmecken is recorded at frequency rank #5,114, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃmɛkn̩]. schmeckte is at rank #27,039, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃmɛktə].
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 32153, this pair ranks #1,713,606 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of schmecken vs schmeckte
Shared letters: cehkms. Private to "schmecken": n. Private to "schmeckte": t.
"schmecken" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCVC · "schmeckte" · 9 letters · shape CCCCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "schmecken" for "schmeckte" ever safe?
Frequency check: "schmecken" vs "schmeckte" - 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 "schmecken" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "schmeckte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,713,606 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "schmecken" and "schmeckte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "schluckte vs schmeckte". 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 #1,713,606 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.