Which to use
“verstärken” is a verb and “verstärkten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #8,480
- “verstärken” frequency rank
- #15,514
- “verstärkten” frequency rank
- 23994
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verstärken | verstärkten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | stärker, belastbarer machen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs verstärkt |
Where the eye mixes verstärken and verstärkten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. verstärken runs 10 letters (CVCCCVCCVC) against verstärkten's 11 (CVCCCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses verstärken with verstärkten
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verstärken is [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛʁkn̩] while verstärkten is [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛʁktn̩]. 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 23994, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verstärken is recorded at frequency rank #8,480, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛʁkn̩]. verstärkten is at rank #15,514, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛʁktn̩].
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 23994, this pair ranks #1,853,750 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verstärken vs verstärkten
Shared letters: eknrstvä. Private to "verstärken": -. Private to "verstärkten": -.
"verstärken" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC · "verstärkten" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verstärken" and "verstärkten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verstärken" or "verstärkten"?
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 "verstärken" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "verstärkten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,853,750 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "verstärken" and "verstärkten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verstärkten vs verstärkter". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,853,750 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.