Which to use
“zäh” is an adjective and “zähle” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,775
- “zäh” frequency rank
- #12,847
- “zähle” frequency rank
- 31622
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zäh | zähle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | langsam, schwerfällig fließend | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zählen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zäh and zähle apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zäh is [t͡sɛː] while zähle is [ˈt͡sɛːlə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “zäh” sits inside “zähle”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31622, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zäh is recorded at frequency rank #18,775, classified as anadj, pronounced [t͡sɛː]. zähle is at rank #12,847, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːlə].
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 31622, this pair ranks #1,724,448 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zäh vs zähle
Shared letters: hzä. Private to "zäh": -. Private to "zähle": el.
"zäh" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "zähle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zäh" and "zähle" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zäh" or "zähle"?
Remembering zäh vs zähle
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “zäh”; for a verb, it's “zähle”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zäh” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable