Which to use
“starten” and “startete” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,990
- “starten” frequency rank
- #5,539
- “startete” frequency rank
- 7529
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | starten | startete |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Vorgang beginnen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs starten |
Where the eye mixes starten and startete
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: starten vs startete
A purely visual mix-up. starten ([ˈʃtaʁtn̩]) and startete ([ˈʃtaʁtətə]) 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 7529, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
starten is recorded at frequency rank #1,990, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtaʁtn̩]. startete is at rank #5,539, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtaʁtətə].
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 7529, this pair ranks #1,987,830 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of starten vs startete
Shared letters: aerst. Private to "starten": n. Private to "startete": -.
"starten" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "startete" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "starten" and "startete" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "starten" or "startete"?
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 "starten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "startete" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,987,830 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "starten" and "startete" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "stärkte vs startete". 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 #1,987,830 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.