Which to use
“seufzen” and “seufzte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,776
- “seufzen” frequency rank
- #40,206
- “seufzte” frequency rank
- 77982
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | seufzen | seufzte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | hörbar und heftig ein- und ausatmen, als Zeichen starker Gefühle wie Kummer, Erleichterung oder Resignation | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs seufzen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set seufzen and seufzte apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. seufzen ([ˈzɔɪ̯ft͡sn̩]) and seufzte ([ˈzɔɪ̯ft͡stə]) 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 77982, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
seufzen is recorded at frequency rank #37,776, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈzɔɪ̯ft͡sn̩]. seufzte is at rank #40,206, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈzɔɪ̯ft͡stə].
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 77982, this pair ranks #248,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of seufzen vs seufzte
Shared letters: efsuz. Private to "seufzen": n. Private to "seufzte": t.
"seufzen" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "seufzte" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "seufzen" and "seufzte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "seufzen" or "seufzte"?
Remembering seufzen vs seufzte
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 “seufzen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable