Which to use
“wachse” and “wachte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,127
- “wachse” frequency rank
- #30,862
- “wachte” frequency rank
- 69989
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wachse | wachte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs wachsen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wachen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wachse and wachte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. wachse ([ˈvaksə]) and wachte ([ˈvaxtə]) 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 a single letter - s in “wachse” becomes t in “wachte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69989, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wachse is recorded at frequency rank #39,127, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈvaksə]. wachte is at rank #30,862, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈvaxtə].
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 69989, this pair ranks #459,860 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of wachse vs wachte
Shared letters: acehw. Private to "wachse": s. Private to "wachte": t.
"wachse" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "wachte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wachse" and "wachte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "wachse" or "wachte"?
Remembering wachse vs wachte
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 “wachse” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable