Which to use
“zähen” and “zäher” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #37,326
- “zähen” frequency rank
- #40,351
- “zäher” frequency rank
- 77677
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zähen | zäher |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zähen and zäher apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. zähen ([ˈt͡sɛːən]) and zäher ([ˈt͡sɛːɐ]) 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 a single letter - n in “zähen” becomes r in “zäher”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 77677, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zähen is recorded at frequency rank #37,326, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːən]. zäher is at rank #40,351, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːɐ].
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 77677, this pair ranks #255,409 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of zähen vs zäher
Shared letters: ehzä. Private to "zähen": n. Private to "zäher": r.
"zähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "zäher" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zähen" and "zäher" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zähen" or "zäher"?
Remembering zähen vs zäher
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 “zähen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable