Which to use
“übersetzen” is a verb and “übersetzten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,671
- “übersetzen” frequency rank
- #35,589
- “übersetzten” frequency rank
- 44260
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übersetzen | übersetzten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in eine andere Sprache übertragen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs übersetzt |
Where the eye mixes übersetzen and übersetzten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. übersetzen runs 10 letters (VCVCCVCCVC) against übersetzten's 11 (VCVCCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between übersetzen and übersetzten
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: übersetzen is [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡sn̩] while übersetzten is [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡stn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44260, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übersetzen is recorded at frequency rank #8,671, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡sn̩]. übersetzten is at rank #35,589, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈzɛt͡stn̩].
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 44260, this pair ranks #1,391,878 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of übersetzen vs übersetzten
Shared letters: benrstzü. Private to "übersetzen": -. Private to "übersetzten": -.
"übersetzen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVCCVC · "übersetzten" · 11 letters · shape VCVCCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "übersetzen" and "übersetzten" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "übersetzen" vs "übersetzten" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "übersetzen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "übersetzten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,391,878 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "übersetzen" and "übersetzten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "übersetzte vs übersetzten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,391,878 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.