anheizenvsanzeigenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#47,941
“anheizen” frequency rank
#3,793
“anzeigen” frequency rank
51734
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature anheizen anzeigen
Definition ein Feuer in einer Feuerstelle (beispielsweise einem Herd, Kamin) anzünden der Polizei oder Staatsanwaltschaft eine von jemandem verübte Straftat mitteilen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set anheizen and anzeigen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
anheizen
8 ch
anzeigen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. anheizen ([ˈanˌhaɪ̯t͡sn̩]) and anzeigen ([ˈanˌt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩]) 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 51734, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

anheizen is recorded at frequency rank #47,941, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌhaɪ̯t͡sn̩]. anzeigen is at rank #3,793, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩].

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 51734, this pair ranks #1,124,085 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of anheizen vs anzeigen

Shared letters: aeinz. Private to "anheizen": h. Private to "anzeigen": g.

"anheizen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC  ·  "anzeigen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • anheizenahneizen · anehizen · anheiezn · anheizenn · anheizne · anheizzen · anhezien · anhheizen
  • anzeigenanezigen · annzeigen · anzegien · anzeiegn · anzeigenn · anzeiggen · anzeigne · anziegen

Frequency comparison

anheizen#47,941
anzeigen#3,793

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "anheizen" and "anzeigen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈanˌhaɪ̯t͡sn̩] versus [ˈanˌt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "anheizen" or "anzeigen"?
"anzeigen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,793 in our German list, against #47,941 for "anheizen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering anheizen vs anzeigen

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 “anheizen” 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