Which to use
“ansprechen” and “anzusprechen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,891
- “ansprechen” frequency rank
- #12,858
- “anzusprechen” frequency rank
- 19749
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ansprechen | anzusprechen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | anfangen mit jemandem zu sprechen; mit jemandem ein Gespräch beginnen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs ansprechen |
Where the eye mixes ansprechen and anzusprechen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. ansprechen runs 10 letters (VCCCCVCCVC) against anzusprechen's 12 (VCCVCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between ansprechen and anzusprechen
A purely visual mix-up. ansprechen ([ˈanˌʃpʁɛçn̩]) and anzusprechen ([ˈant͡suˌʃpʁɛçn̩]) 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 19749, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ansprechen is recorded at frequency rank #6,891, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌʃpʁɛçn̩]. anzusprechen is at rank #12,858, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈant͡suˌʃpʁɛçn̩].
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 19749, this pair ranks #1,904,992 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ansprechen vs anzusprechen
Shared letters: acehnprs. Private to "ansprechen": -. Private to "anzusprechen": uz.
"ansprechen" · 10 letters · shape VCCCCVCCVC · "anzusprechen" · 12 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- ansprechen ← annsprechen · anpsrechen · ansperchen · anspprechen · ansprcehen · ansprecchen · ansprecehn · ansprechenn
- anzusprechen ← annzusprechen · anuzsprechen · anzsuprechen · anzupsrechen · anzusperchen · anzuspprechen · anzusprcehen · anzusprecchen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "ansprechen" for "anzusprechen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "ansprechen" or "anzusprechen" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ansprechen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "anzusprechen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,904,992 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ansprechen" and "anzusprechen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "abzusprechen vs anzusprechen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,904,992 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.