tätevstötenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,434
“täte” frequency rank
#3,083
“töten” frequency rank
20517
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature täte töten
Definition 1. Person Singular Konjunktiv Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs tun einem Menschen oder einem Tier gewaltsam das Leben nehmen

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
täte
5 ch
töten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

täte and töten form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20517, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

täte is recorded at frequency rank #17,434, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈtɛːtə]. töten is at rank #3,083, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtøːtn̩].

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 20517, this pair ranks #1,896,775 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

täte#17,434
töten#3,083

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "täte" and "töten" be used interchangeably?
No, "täte" and "töten" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering täte vs töten

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 “täte” 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