fortsetzenvsfortzusetzenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,544
“fortsetzen” frequency rank
#15,885
“fortzusetzen” frequency rank
25429
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fortsetzen fortzusetzen
Definition an etwas, das begonnen wurde, anschließen und weiterführen, weiterverfolgen erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs fortsetzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fortsetzen and fortzusetzen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
fortsetzen
12 ch
fortzusetzen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. fortsetzen ([ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sn̩]) and fortzusetzen ([ˈfɔʁtt͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩]) 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 25429, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fortsetzen is recorded at frequency rank #9,544, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sn̩]. fortzusetzen is at rank #15,885, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfɔʁtt͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩].

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 25429, this pair ranks #1,833,425 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of fortsetzen vs fortzusetzen

Shared letters: efnorstz. Private to "fortsetzen": -. Private to "fortzusetzen": u.

"fortsetzen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC  ·  "fortzusetzen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • fortsetzenffortsetzen · forrtsetzen · forstetzen · fortestzen · fortsetezn · fortsettzen · fortsetzenn · fortsetzne
  • fortzusetzenffortzusetzen · forrtzusetzen · forttzusetzen · fortuzsetzen · fortzsuetzen · fortzuestzen · fortzusetezn · fortzusettzen

Frequency comparison

fortsetzen#9,544
fortzusetzen#15,885

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "fortsetzen" and "fortzusetzen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɔʁtˌzɛt͡sn̩] versus [ˈfɔʁtt͡suˌzɛt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "fortsetzen" or "fortzusetzen"?
"fortsetzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,544 in our German list, against #15,885 for "fortzusetzen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering fortsetzen vs fortzusetzen

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 “fortsetzen” 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