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 eye mixes mitarbeiten and mitzuarbeiten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. mitarbeiten runs 11 letters (CVCVCCVVCVC) against mitzuarbeiten's 13 (CVCCVVCCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between mitarbeiten and mitzuarbeiten
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
- mitarbeiten ← imtarbeiten · miatrbeiten · mitabreiten · mitarbbeiten · mitarbeietn · mitarbeitenn · mitarbeitne · mitarbeitten
- mitzuarbeiten ← imtzuarbeiten · mittzuarbeiten · mituzarbeiten · mitzaurbeiten · mitzuabreiten · mitzuarbbeiten · mitzuarbeietn · mitzuarbeitenn
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mitarbeiten" for "mitzuarbeiten" ever safe?
Frequency check: "mitarbeiten" vs "mitzuarbeiten" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "mitarbeiten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "mitzuarbeiten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #274,562 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mitarbeiten" and "mitzuarbeiten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mitarbeiten vs Mitarbeiters". 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 #274,562 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.