Which to use
“setzen” and “setzten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #692
- “setzen” frequency rank
- #5,024
- “setzten” frequency rank
- 5716
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | setzen | setzten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden oder etwas in eine sitzende Position bringen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs setzen |
Where the eye mixes setzen and setzten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. setzen runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against setzten's 7 (CVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses setzen with setzten
A purely visual mix-up. setzen ([ˈzɛt͡sn̩]) and setzten ([ˈzɛt͡stn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5716, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
setzen is recorded at frequency rank #692, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzɛt͡sn̩]. setzten is at rank #5,024, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzɛt͡stn̩].
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 5716, this pair ranks #1,993,955 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of setzen vs setzten
Shared letters: enstz. Private to "setzen": -. Private to "setzten": -.
"setzen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "setzten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "setzen" and "setzten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "setzen" or "setzten"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "setzen" and "setzten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "setzen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "setzten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,993,955 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "setzen" and "setzten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "setzten vs Stuten". 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 #1,993,955 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.