wählenvswählstWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#984
“wählen” frequency rank
#31,381
“wählst” frequency rank
32365
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature wählen wählst
Definition sich für eine von mehreren Möglichkeiten entscheiden 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs wählen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wählen and wählst apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
wählen
6 ch
wählst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. wählen ([ˈvɛːlən]) and wählst ([vɛːlst]) 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 32365, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

wählen is recorded at frequency rank #984, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈvɛːlən]. wählst is at rank #31,381, tagged as averb, pronounced [vɛːlst].

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 32365, this pair ranks #1,709,211 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of wählen vs wählst

Shared letters: hlwä. Private to "wählen": en. Private to "wählst": st.

"wählen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "wählst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC

Frequency comparison

wählen#984
wählst#31,381

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "wählen" and "wählst" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈvɛːlən] versus [vɛːlst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "wählen" or "wählst"?
"wählen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #984 in our German list, against #31,381 for "wählst". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering wählen vs wählst

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 “wählen” 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