Which to use
“stecken” and “steckte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,363
- “stecken” frequency rank
- #9,273
- “steckte” frequency rank
- 11636
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | stecken | steckte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in etwas anderes hineindrücken oder einfügen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs stecken |
Where the eye mixes stecken and steckte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: stecken vs steckte
A purely visual mix-up. stecken ([ˈʃtɛkn̩]) 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 11636, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
stecken is recorded at frequency rank #2,363, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɛkn̩]. 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 11636, this pair ranks #1,968,765 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of stecken vs steckte
Shared letters: cekst. Private to "stecken": n. Private to "steckte": -.
"stecken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "steckte" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "stecken" and "steckte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "stecken" 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 "stecken" 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 #1,968,765 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "stecken" and "steckte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "stärkte vs steckte". 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 #1,968,765 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.