Which to use
“anstellen” and “anzustellen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,718
- “anstellen” frequency rank
- #29,469
- “anzustellen” frequency rank
- 37187
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | anstellen | anzustellen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Gegenstand an einen anderen anlehnen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs anstellen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set anstellen and anzustellen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. anstellen ([ˈanˌʃtɛlən]) and anzustellen ([ˈant͡suˌʃtɛlən]) 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 37187, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
anstellen is recorded at frequency rank #7,718, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌʃtɛlən]. anzustellen is at rank #29,469, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈant͡suˌʃtɛlən].
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 37187, this pair ranks #1,596,634 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of anstellen vs anzustellen
Shared letters: aelnst. Private to "anstellen": -. Private to "anzustellen": uz.
"anstellen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC · "anzustellen" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- anstellen ← annstellen · ansetllen · ansstellen · ansteleln · anstelen · anstellenn · anstellne · anstlelen
- anzustellen ← annzustellen · anuzstellen · anzsutellen · anzusetllen · anzusstellen · anzusteleln · anzustelen · anzustellenn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "anstellen" and "anzustellen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "anstellen" or "anzustellen"?
Remembering anstellen vs anzustellen
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 “anstellen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable