übertrifftvsübertrittWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,500
“übertrifft” frequency rank
#35,024
“übertritt” frequency rank
56524
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature übertrifft übertritt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs übertreffen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs übertreten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set übertrifft and übertritt apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
übertrifft
9 ch
übertritt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. übertrifft ([yːbɐˈtʁɪft]) and übertritt ([ˈyːbɐˌtʁɪt]) 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 56524, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

übertrifft is recorded at frequency rank #21,500, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈtʁɪft]. übertritt is at rank #35,024, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈyːbɐˌtʁɪt].

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 56524, this pair ranks #936,857 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of übertrifft vs übertritt

Shared letters: beirtü. Private to "übertrifft": f. Private to "übertritt": -.

"übertrifft" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCCVCCC  ·  "übertritt" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCCVCC

Frequency comparison

übertrifft#21,500
übertritt#35,024

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "übertrifft" and "übertritt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([yːbɐˈtʁɪft] versus [ˈyːbɐˌtʁɪt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "übertrifft" or "übertritt"?
"übertrifft" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,500 in our German list, against #35,024 for "übertritt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering übertrifft vs übertritt

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 “übertrifft” 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