Which to use
“setzte” and “setzten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,434
- “setzte” frequency rank
- #5,024
- “setzten” frequency rank
- 6458
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | setzte | setzten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs setzen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs setzen |
Where the eye mixes setzte and setzten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. setzte runs 6 letters (CVCCCV) against setzten's 7 (CVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: setzte vs setzten
A purely visual mix-up. setzte ([ˈzɛt͡stə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “setzte” sits inside “setzten”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6458, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
setzte is recorded at frequency rank #1,434, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzɛt͡stə]. 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 6458, this pair ranks #1,991,580 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of setzte vs setzten
Shared letters: estz. Private to "setzte": -. Private to "setzten": n.
"setzte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "setzten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "setzte" for "setzten" ever safe?
Which is more common, "setzte" or "setzten"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "setzte" 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 #1,991,580 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "setzte" 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 #1,991,580 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.