Which to use
“übertraf” and “übertrug” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #28,969
- “übertraf” frequency rank
- #23,811
- “übertrug” frequency rank
- 52780
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | übertraf | übertrug |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs übertreffen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs übertragen |
Where the eye mixes übertraf and übertrug
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. übertraf and übertrug follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCVCCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: übertraf vs übertrug
A purely visual mix-up. übertraf ([yːbɐˈtʁaːf]) and übertrug ([ˌyːbɐˈtʁuːk]) 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 52780, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
übertraf is recorded at frequency rank #28,969, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁaːf]. übertrug is at rank #23,811, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈtʁuːk].
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 52780, this pair ranks #1,083,549 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of übertraf vs übertrug
Shared letters: bertü. Private to "übertraf": af. Private to "übertrug": gu.
"übertraf" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC · "übertrug" · 8 letters · shape VCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "übertraf" and "übertrug" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "übertraf" vs "übertrug" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "übertraf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "übertrug" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,083,549 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
Confusion rank #1,083,549 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.