Which to use
“stärkte” and “steckte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,523
- “stärkte” frequency rank
- #9,273
- “steckte” frequency rank
- 57796
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | stärkte | steckte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs stärken | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs stecken |
Where the eye mixes stärkte and steckte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses stärkte with steckte
A purely visual mix-up. stärkte ([ˈʃtɛʁktə]) and steckte ([ˈʃtɛktə]) 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 57796, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
stärkte is recorded at frequency rank #48,523, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɛʁktə]. steckte is at rank #9,273, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɛktə].
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 57796, this pair ranks #887,454 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of stärkte vs steckte
Shared letters: ekst. Private to "stärkte": rä. Private to "steckte": c.
"stärkte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV · "steckte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- steckte ← setckte · ssteckte · stcekte · stecckte · stecket · steckkte · stecktte · stectke
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "stärkte" and "steckte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "stärkte" or "steckte"?
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 "stärkte" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "steckte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #887,454 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "stärkte" and "steckte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "stärkster vs stärkte". 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 #887,454 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.