Which to use
“einschlafen” and “einzuschlafen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,844
- “einschlafen” frequency rank
- #45,890
- “einzuschlafen” frequency rank
- 56734
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einschlafen | einzuschlafen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu schlafen beginnen; vom Zustand des Wachseins in den Zustand des Schlafens wechseln | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs einschlafen |
Where the eye mixes einschlafen and einzuschlafen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. einschlafen runs 11 letters (VVCCCCCVCVC) against einzuschlafen's 13 (VVCCVCCCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: einschlafen vs einzuschlafen
A purely visual mix-up. einschlafen ([ˈaɪ̯nˌʃlaːfn̩]) and einzuschlafen ([ˈaɪ̯nt͡suˌʃlaːfn̩]) 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 56734, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einschlafen is recorded at frequency rank #10,844, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nˌʃlaːfn̩]. einzuschlafen is at rank #45,890, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nt͡suˌʃlaːfn̩].
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 56734, this pair ranks #928,707 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of einschlafen vs einzuschlafen
Shared letters: acefhilns. Private to "einschlafen": -. Private to "einzuschlafen": uz.
"einschlafen" · 11 letters · shape VVCCCCCVCVC · "einzuschlafen" · 13 letters · shape VVCCVCCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- einschlafen ← eincshlafen · einnschlafen · einscchlafen · einschalfen · einschhlafen · einschlaefn · einschlafenn · einschlaffen
- einzuschlafen ← einnzuschlafen · einuzschlafen · einzsuchlafen · einzucshlafen · einzuscchlafen · einzuschalfen · einzuschhlafen · einzuschlaefn
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "einschlafen" and "einzuschlafen" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "einschlafen" vs "einzuschlafen" - which ranks higher?
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 "einschlafen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "einzuschlafen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #928,707 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "einschlafen" and "einzuschlafen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "einzuschlafen vs einzuschlagen". 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 #928,707 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.