Which to use
“zäh” is an adjective and “zu” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,775
- “zäh” frequency rank
- #9
- “zu” frequency rank
- 18784
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zäh | zu |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | langsam, schwerfällig fließend | in Richtung auf |
Where the eye mixes zäh and zu
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: zäh vs zu
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zäh is [t͡sɛː] while zu is [t͡suː]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18784, 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]. zu is at rank #9, tagged as aprep, pronounced [t͡suː].
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 18784, this pair ranks #1,914,960 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zäh vs zu
Shared letters: z. Private to "zäh": hä. Private to "zu": u.
"zäh" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "zu" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zäh" for "zu" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "zäh" or "zu" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zäh" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zu" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,914,960 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zäh" and "zu" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zäh vs zapf". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,914,960 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.