Which to use
“anzünden” and “anzuzünden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #13,764
- “anzünden” frequency rank
- #37,361
- “anzuzünden” frequency rank
- 51125
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | anzünden | anzuzünden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas zum Brennen bringen; etwas in Brand setzen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs anzünden |
Where the eye mixes anzünden and anzuzünden
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses anzünden with anzuzünden
A purely visual mix-up. anzünden ([ˈanˌt͡sʏndn̩]) and anzuzünden ([ˈant͡suˌt͡sʏndn̩]) 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 51125, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
anzünden is recorded at frequency rank #13,764, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈanˌt͡sʏndn̩]. anzuzünden is at rank #37,361, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈant͡suˌt͡sʏndn̩].
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 51125, this pair ranks #1,147,493 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of anzünden vs anzuzünden
Shared letters: adenzü. Private to "anzünden": -. Private to "anzuzünden": u.
"anzünden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "anzuzünden" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "anzünden" and "anzuzünden" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "anzünden" vs "anzuzünden" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "anzünden" and "anzuzünden" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "anzünden" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "anzuzünden" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,147,493 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "anzünden" and "anzuzünden" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Anzügen vs anzünden". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,147,493 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.