Which to use
“wiederherstellen” and “wiederherzustellen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,202
- “wiederherstellen” frequency rank
- #20,130
- “wiederherzustellen” frequency rank
- 44332
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | wiederherstellen | wiederherzustellen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas in einen früheren Zustand bringen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs wiederherstellen |
Where the eye mixes wiederherstellen and wiederherzustellen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 16 letters in sequence. wiederherstellen runs 16 letters (CVVCVCCVCCCVCCVC) against wiederherzustellen's 18 (CVVCVCCVCCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses wiederherstellen with wiederherzustellen
A purely visual mix-up. wiederherstellen ([viːdɐˈheːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlən]) and wiederherzustellen ([viːdɐˈheːɐ̯t͡suˌʃtɛlən]) 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 44332, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
wiederherstellen is recorded at frequency rank #24,202, classified as averb, pronounced [viːdɐˈheːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlən]. wiederherzustellen is at rank #20,130, tagged as averb, pronounced [viːdɐˈheːɐ̯t͡suˌʃtɛlən].
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 44332, this pair ranks #1,389,642 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of wiederherstellen vs wiederherzustellen
Shared letters: dehilnrstw. Private to "wiederherstellen": -. Private to "wiederherzustellen": uz.
"wiederherstellen" · 16 letters · shape CVVCVCCVCCCVCCVC · "wiederherzustellen" · 18 letters · shape CVVCVCCVCCVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- wiederherstellen ← iwederherstellen · weiderherstellen · wideerherstellen · wiedderherstellen · wiedehrerstellen · wiederehrstellen · wiederherrstellen · wiederhersetllen
- wiederherzustellen ← iwederherzustellen · weiderherzustellen · wideerherzustellen · wiedderherzustellen · wiedehrerzustellen · wiederehrzustellen · wiederherrzustellen · wiederheruzstellen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "wiederherstellen" for "wiederherzustellen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "wiederherstellen" vs "wiederherzustellen" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "wiederherstellen" and "wiederherzustellen" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "wiederherstellen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "wiederherzustellen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,389,642 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "wiederherstellen" and "wiederherzustellen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "wiederherstellen vs Wiederherstellung". 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 #1,389,642 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.