wählstvswarstWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#31,381
“wählst” frequency rank
#3,092
“warst” frequency rank
34473
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature wählst warst
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs wählen 2. Person Singular Präteritum Indikativ des Verbs sein

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wählst and warst apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
wählst
5 ch
warst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. wählst ([vɛːlst]) and warst ([vaːɐ̯st]) 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 34473, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

wählst is recorded at frequency rank #31,381, classified as averb, pronounced [vɛːlst]. warst is at rank #3,092, tagged as averb, pronounced [vaːɐ̯st].

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 34473, this pair ranks #1,662,552 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of wählst vs warst

Shared letters: stw. Private to "wählst": hlä. Private to "warst": ar.

"wählst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "warst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • warstawrst · warrst · warsst · warstt · warts · wasrt · wrast · wwarst

Frequency comparison

wählst#31,381
warst#3,092

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "wählst" and "warst" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([vɛːlst] versus [vaːɐ̯st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "wählst" or "warst"?
"warst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,092 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 wählst vs warst

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 “wählst” 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