mitarbeitenvsmitzuarbeitenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#29,242
“mitarbeiten” frequency rank
#47,595
“mitzuarbeiten” frequency rank
76837
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature mitarbeiten mitzuarbeiten
Definition gemeinsam mit anderen an einer Aufgabe tätig sein erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs mitarbeiten

Where the spellings diverge

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

11 ch
mitarbeiten
13 ch
mitzuarbeiten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. mitarbeiten ([ˈmɪtʔaʁˌbaɪ̯tn̩]) and mitzuarbeiten ([ˈmɪtt͡suˌʔaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]) 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 76837, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

mitarbeiten is recorded at frequency rank #29,242, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmɪtʔaʁˌbaɪ̯tn̩]. mitzuarbeiten is at rank #47,595, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈmɪtt͡suˌʔaʁbaɪ̯tn̩].

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 76837, this pair ranks #274,562 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of mitarbeiten vs mitzuarbeiten

Shared letters: abeimnrt. Private to "mitarbeiten": -. Private to "mitzuarbeiten": uz.

"mitarbeiten" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCVVCVC  ·  "mitzuarbeiten" · 13 letters · shape CVCCVVCCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • mitarbeitenimtarbeiten · miatrbeiten · mitabreiten · mitarbbeiten · mitarbeietn · mitarbeitenn · mitarbeitne · mitarbeitten
  • mitzuarbeitenimtzuarbeiten · mittzuarbeiten · mituzarbeiten · mitzaurbeiten · mitzuabreiten · mitzuarbbeiten · mitzuarbeietn · mitzuarbeitenn

Frequency comparison

mitarbeiten#29,242
mitzuarbeiten#47,595

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "mitarbeiten" and "mitzuarbeiten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈmɪtʔaʁˌbaɪ̯tn̩] versus [ˈmɪtt͡suˌʔaʁbaɪ̯tn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "mitarbeiten" or "mitzuarbeiten"?
"mitarbeiten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,242 in our German list, against #47,595 for "mitzuarbeiten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering mitarbeiten vs mitzuarbeiten

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 “mitarbeiten” 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