Which to use
“einschränken” and “einzuschränken” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,549
- “einschränken” frequency rank
- #20,895
- “einzuschränken” frequency rank
- 35444
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einschränken | einzuschränken |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Schranken setzen, Grenzen setzen, eingrenzen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs einschränken |
Where the eye mixes einschränken and einzuschränken
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. einschränken runs 12 letters (VVCCCCCVCCVC) against einzuschränken's 14 (VVCCVCCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between einschränken and einzuschränken
A purely visual mix-up. einschränken ([ˈaɪ̯nˌʃʁɛŋkn̩]) and einzuschränken ([ˈaɪ̯nt͡suˌʃʁɛŋkn̩]) 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 35444, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einschränken is recorded at frequency rank #14,549, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nˌʃʁɛŋkn̩]. einzuschränken is at rank #20,895, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nt͡suˌʃʁɛŋkn̩].
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 35444, this pair ranks #1,639,849 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of einschränken vs einzuschränken
Shared letters: cehiknrsä. Private to "einschränken": -. Private to "einzuschränken": uz.
"einschränken" · 12 letters · shape VVCCCCCVCCVC · "einzuschränken" · 14 letters · shape VVCCVCCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "einschränken" and "einzuschränken" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "einschränken" or "einzuschränken"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "einschränken" and "einzuschränken" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "einschränken" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "einzuschränken" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,639,849 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "einschränken" and "einzuschränken" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "einschränken vs einschränkt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,639,849 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.