Which to use
“zähen” is an adjective and “Zähler” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,326
- “zähen” frequency rank
- #16,889
- “Zähler” frequency rank
- 54215
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zähen | Zähler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh | Person, die etwas zählt |
Where the eye mixes zähen and Zähler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. zähen runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against Zähler's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zähen and Zähler
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zähen is [ˈt͡sɛːən] while Zähler is [ˈt͡sɛːlɐ]. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54215, 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]. Zähler is at rank #16,889, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːlɐ].
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 54215, this pair ranks #1,027,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zähen vs Zähler
Shared letters: ehzä. Private to "zähen": n. Private to "Zähler": lr.
"zähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Zähler" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "zähen" and "Zähler" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "zähen" or "Zähler"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zähen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Zähler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,027,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zähen" and "Zähler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zähen vs zechen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,027,604 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.