zäher vs Zähler, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“zäher” is an adjective and “Zähler” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#40,351
“zäher” frequency rank: #16,889
“Zähler” frequency rank: 57240
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	zäher	Zähler
Definition	Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh	Person, die etwas zählt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zäher and Zähler apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch

zäher

6 ch

Zähler

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zäher is [ˈt͡sɛːɐ] 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 57240, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zäher is recorded at frequency rank #40,351, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːɐ]. 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 57240, this pair ranks #909,032 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of zäher vs Zähler

Shared letters: ehrzä. Private to "zäher": -. Private to "Zähler": l.

"zäher" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Zähler" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Frequency comparison

zäher#40,351

Zähler#16,889

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zäher" and "Zähler" be used interchangeably?

No - they are not even the same part of speech. "zäher" is an adjective and "Zähler" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.

Which is more common, "zäher" or "Zähler"?

"Zähler" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,889 in our German list, against #40,351 for "zäher". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering zäher vs Zähler

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “zäher”; for a noun, it's “Zähler”.
See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zäher” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable