Which to use
“winken” and “winkte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,881
- “winken” frequency rank
- #37,900
- “winkte” frequency rank
- 54781
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | winken | winkte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zur Begrüßung, zum Abschied oder, um Aufmerksamkeit zu erregen, mit der Hand in der Luft wedeln | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs winken |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set winken and winkte 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. winken ([ˈvɪŋkn̩]) and winkte ([ˈvɪŋktə]) 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 54781, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
winken is recorded at frequency rank #16,881, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈvɪŋkn̩]. winkte is at rank #37,900, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈvɪŋktə].
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 54781, this pair ranks #1,005,307 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of winken vs winkte
Shared letters: eiknw. Private to "winken": -. Private to "winkte": t.
"winken" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "winkte" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "winken" and "winkte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "winken" or "winkte"?
Remembering winken vs winkte
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 “winken” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable