abstellenvsabzustellenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#12,221
“abstellen” frequency rank
#27,596
“abzustellen” frequency rank
39817
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature abstellen abzustellen
Definition aus der Hand legen und auf einer Fläche platzieren erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs abstellen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set abstellen and abzustellen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
abstellen
11 ch
abzustellen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. abstellen ([ˈapˌʃtɛlən]) and abzustellen ([ˈapt͡suˌʃtɛlən]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39817, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

abstellen is recorded at frequency rank #12,221, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapˌʃtɛlən]. abzustellen is at rank #27,596, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈapt͡suˌʃtɛlən].

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 39817, this pair ranks #1,526,058 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of abstellen vs abzustellen

Shared letters: abelnst. Private to "abstellen": -. Private to "abzustellen": uz.

"abstellen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC  ·  "abzustellen" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • abstellenabbstellen · absetllen · absstellen · absteleln · abstelen · abstellenn · abstellne · abstlelen
  • abzustellenabbzustellen · abuzstellen · abzsutellen · abzusetllen · abzusstellen · abzusteleln · abzustelen · abzustellenn

Frequency comparison

abstellen#12,221
abzustellen#27,596

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "abstellen" and "abzustellen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈapˌʃtɛlən] versus [ˈapt͡suˌʃtɛlən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "abstellen" or "abzustellen"?
"abstellen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,221 in our German list, against #27,596 for "abzustellen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering abstellen vs abzustellen

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 “abstellen” 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