Which to use
“setz” and “setzte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,519
- “setz” frequency rank
- #1,434
- “setzte” frequency rank
- 12953
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | setz | setzte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs setzen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs setzen |
Where the eye mixes setz and setzte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: setz vs setzte
A purely visual mix-up. setz ([zɛt͡s]) and setzte ([ˈzɛt͡stə]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “setz” sits inside “setzte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12953, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
setz is recorded at frequency rank #11,519, classified as averb, pronounced [zɛt͡s]. setzte is at rank #1,434, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzɛt͡stə].
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 12953, this pair ranks #1,961,008 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of setz vs setzte
Shared letters: estz. Private to "setz": -. Private to "setzte": -.
"setz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "setzte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "setz" for "setzte" ever safe?
Frequency check: "setz" vs "setzte" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "setz" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "setzte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,961,008 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "setz" and "setzte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "seg vs setz". 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 #1,961,008 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.