Which to use
“zerstört” and “zerstörte” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,835
- “zerstört” frequency rank
- #12,643
- “zerstörte” frequency rank
- 14478
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zerstört | zerstörte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | gewaltsam und mutwillig kaputt gemacht | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs zerstört |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zerstört and zerstörte apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. zerstört ([t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːɐ̯t]) and zerstörte ([t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːɐ̯tə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “zerstört” sits inside “zerstörte”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14478, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zerstört is recorded at frequency rank #1,835, classified as anadj, pronounced [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːɐ̯t]. zerstörte is at rank #12,643, tagged as anadj, pronounced [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːɐ̯tə].
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 14478, this pair ranks #1,950,930 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zerstört vs zerstörte
Shared letters: erstzö. Private to "zerstört": -. Private to "zerstörte": -.
"zerstört" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "zerstörte" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zerstört" and "zerstörte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zerstört" or "zerstörte"?
Remembering zerstört vs zerstörte
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 “zerstört” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable