Which to use
“überzeugen” is a verb and “überzeugte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,423
- “überzeugen” frequency rank
- #13,753
- “überzeugte” frequency rank
- 16176
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überzeugen | überzeugte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem die Richtigkeit glaubhaft machen | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs überzeugt |
Where the eye mixes überzeugen and überzeugte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. überzeugen (VCVCCVVCVC) and überzeugte (VCVCCVVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between überzeugen and überzeugte
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: überzeugen is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡŋ̍] while überzeugte is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ktə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16176, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überzeugen is recorded at frequency rank #2,423, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡŋ̍]. überzeugte is at rank #13,753, tagged as anadj, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ktə].
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 16176, this pair ranks #1,937,948 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of überzeugen vs überzeugte
Shared letters: begruzü. Private to "überzeugen": n. Private to "überzeugte": t.
"überzeugen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVC · "überzeugte" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "überzeugen" and "überzeugte" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "überzeugen" or "überzeugte" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "überzeugen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "überzeugte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,937,948 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überzeugen" and "überzeugte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überzeugte vs überzeugter". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,937,948 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.