sparstvsstärktWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“sparst” and “stärkt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#47,008
“sparst” frequency rank
#11,979
“stärkt” frequency rank
58987
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sparst stärkt
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs sparen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs stärken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sparst and stärkt apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
sparst
6 ch
stärkt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sparst ([ʃpaːɐ̯st]) and stärkt ([ʃtɛʁkt]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58987, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sparst is recorded at frequency rank #47,008, classified as averb, pronounced [ʃpaːɐ̯st]. stärkt is at rank #11,979, tagged as averb, pronounced [ʃtɛʁkt].

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 58987, this pair ranks #841,596 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sparst vs stärkt

Shared letters: rst. Private to "sparst": ap. Private to "stärkt": .

"sparst" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC  ·  "stärkt" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sparstpsarst · saprst · sparrst · sparsst · sparstt · sparts · spasrt · spparst

Frequency comparison

sparst#47,008
stärkt#11,979

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sparst" and "stärkt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ʃpaːɐ̯st] versus [ʃtɛʁkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sparst" or "stärkt"?
"stärkt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,979 in our German list, against #47,008 for "sparst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering sparst vs stärkt

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 “sparst” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list