Which to use
“anrühren” and “anzuhören” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #49,463
- “anrühren” frequency rank
- #21,526
- “anzuhören” frequency rank
- 70989
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | anrühren | anzuhören |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemand oder etwas anfassen, berühren | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs anhören |
Where the eye mixes anrühren and anzuhören
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. anrühren runs 8 letters (VCCVCCVC) against anzuhören's 9 (VCCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses anrühren with anzuhören
A purely visual mix-up. anrühren ([ˈanˌʁyːʁən]) and anzuhören ([ˈant͡suˌhøːʁən]) 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 70989, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
anrühren is recorded at frequency rank #49,463, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌʁyːʁən]. anzuhören is at rank #21,526, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈant͡suˌhøːʁən].
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 70989, this pair ranks #429,899 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of anrühren vs anzuhören
Shared letters: aehnr. Private to "anrühren": ü. Private to "anzuhören": uzö.
"anrühren" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "anzuhören" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "anrühren" and "anzuhören" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "anrühren" vs "anzuhören" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "anrühren" and "anzuhören" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "anrühren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "anzuhören" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #429,899 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "anrühren" and "anzuhören" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "anfahren vs anrühren". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #429,899 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.