durchsetzenvsdurchzusetzenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,338
“durchsetzen” frequency rank
#8,545
“durchzusetzen” frequency rank
12883
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature durchsetzen durchzusetzen
Definition etwas, das man anstrebt, trotz eventueller Hindernisse verwirklichen erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs durchsetzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set durchsetzen and durchzusetzen apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch
durchsetzen
13 ch
durchzusetzen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. durchsetzen ([ˈdʊʁçˌzɛt͡sn̩]) and durchzusetzen ([ˈdʊʁçt͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩]) 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 12883, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

durchsetzen is recorded at frequency rank #4,338, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈdʊʁçˌzɛt͡sn̩]. durchzusetzen is at rank #8,545, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈdʊʁçt͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩].

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 12883, this pair ranks #1,961,437 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of durchsetzen vs durchzusetzen

Shared letters: cdehnrstuz. Private to "durchsetzen": -. Private to "durchzusetzen": -.

"durchsetzen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCCVCCVC  ·  "durchzusetzen" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCCVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • durchsetzenddurchsetzen · druchsetzen · ducrhsetzen · durcchsetzen · durchestzen · durchhsetzen · durchsetezn · durchsettzen
  • durchzusetzenddurchzusetzen · druchzusetzen · ducrhzusetzen · durcchzusetzen · durchhzusetzen · durchuzsetzen · durchzsuetzen · durchzuestzen

Frequency comparison

durchsetzen#4,338
durchzusetzen#8,545

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "durchsetzen" and "durchzusetzen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdʊʁçˌzɛt͡sn̩] versus [ˈdʊʁçt͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "durchsetzen" or "durchzusetzen"?
"durchsetzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,338 in our German list, against #8,545 for "durchzusetzen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering durchsetzen vs durchzusetzen

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 “durchsetzen” 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