Which to use
“wählten” and “warten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,468
- “wählten” frequency rank
- #848
- “warten” frequency rank
- 15316
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wählten | warten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs wählen | Zeit verstreichen lassen beziehungsweise untätig sein, bis ein bestimmter Zustand eintrifft |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set wählten and warten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. wählten ([ˈvɛːltn̩]) and warten ([ˈvaʁtn̩]) 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 15316, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wählten is recorded at frequency rank #14,468, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈvɛːltn̩]. warten is at rank #848, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈvaʁtn̩].
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 15316, this pair ranks #1,944,814 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of wählten vs warten
Shared letters: entw. Private to "wählten": hlä. Private to "warten": ar.
"wählten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "warten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- warten ← awrten · waretn · warrten · wartenn · wartne · wartten · watren · wraten
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "wählten" and "warten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "wählten" or "warten"?
Remembering wählten vs warten
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 “wählten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable