Which to use
“töten” and “töteten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,083
- “töten” frequency rank
- #29,826
- “töteten” frequency rank
- 32909
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | töten | töteten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einem Menschen oder einem Tier gewaltsam das Leben nehmen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs töten |
Where the eye mixes töten and töteten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. töten runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against töteten's 7 (CVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between töten and töteten
A purely visual mix-up. töten ([ˈtøːtn̩]) and töteten ([ˈtøːtətn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32909, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
töten is recorded at frequency rank #3,083, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈtøːtn̩]. töteten is at rank #29,826, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtøːtətn̩].
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 32909, this pair ranks #1,697,431 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of töten vs töteten
Shared letters: entö. Private to "töten": -. Private to "töteten": -.
"töten" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "töteten" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "töten" and "töteten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "töten" or "töteten"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "töten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "töteten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,697,431 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "töten" and "töteten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Tapeten vs töteten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,697,431 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.