Which to use
“Zahl” and “Zehe” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #730
- “Zahl” frequency rank
- #43,650
- “Zehe” frequency rank
- 44380
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Zahl | Zehe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | numerischer Wert, Quantität (das Wieviel) | der einem Finger entsprechende Teil des Fußes |
Where the eye mixes Zahl and Zehe
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Zahl (CVCC) and Zehe (CVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Zahl with Zehe
A purely visual mix-up. Zahl ([t͡saːl]) and Zehe ([ˈt͡seːə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44380, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Zahl is recorded at frequency rank #730, classified as anoun, pronounced [t͡saːl]. Zehe is at rank #43,650, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡seːə].
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 44380, this pair ranks #1,388,018 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Zahl vs Zehe
Shared letters: hz. Private to "Zahl": al. Private to "Zehe": e.
"Zahl" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "Zehe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Zahl" and "Zehe" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Zahl" or "Zehe"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Zahl" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Zehe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,388,018 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Zahl" and "Zehe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zechen vs Zehe". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,388,018 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.