Which to use
“zähen” is an adjective and “zogen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,326
- “zähen” frequency rank
- #4,401
- “zogen” frequency rank
- 41727
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zähen | zogen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs ziehen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zähen and zogen 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: zähen is [ˈt͡sɛːən] while zogen is [ˈt͡soːɡn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41727, 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]. zogen is at rank #4,401, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡soːɡn̩].
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 41727, this pair ranks #1,470,878 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zähen vs zogen
Shared letters: enz. Private to "zähen": hä. Private to "zogen": go.
"zähen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "zogen" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- zogen ← ozgen · zgoen · zoegn · zogenn · zoggen · zogne · zzogen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zähen" and "zogen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zähen" or "zogen"?
Remembering zähen vs zogen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “zähen”; for a verb, it's “zogen”.
- 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