steuernvssteuerteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,042
“steuern” frequency rank
#20,068
“steuerte” frequency rank
22110
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature steuern steuerte
Definition ein Fahrzeug oder ein technisches Gerät lenken 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs steuern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set steuern and steuerte apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
steuern
8 ch
steuerte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. steuern ([ˈʃtɔɪ̯ɐn]) and steuerte ([ˈʃtɔɪ̯ɐtə]) 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 22110, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

steuern is recorded at frequency rank #2,042, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɔɪ̯ɐn]. steuerte is at rank #20,068, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɔɪ̯ɐtə].

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 22110, this pair ranks #1,878,168 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of steuern vs steuerte

Shared letters: erstu. Private to "steuern": n. Private to "steuerte": -.

"steuern" · 7 letters · shape CCVVVCC  ·  "steuerte" · 8 letters · shape CCVVVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • steuernsetuern · ssteuern · steeurn · steuenr · steuernn · steuerrn · steuren · stteuern
  • steuertesetuerte · ssteuerte · steeurte · steueret · steuerrte · steuertte · steuetre · steurete

Frequency comparison

steuern#2,042
steuerte#20,068

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "steuern" and "steuerte" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃtɔɪ̯ɐn] versus [ˈʃtɔɪ̯ɐtə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "steuern" or "steuerte"?
"steuern" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,042 in our German list, against #20,068 for "steuerte". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering steuern vs steuerte

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 “steuern” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list