Which to use
“zähle” and “zahlen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,847
- “zähle” frequency rank
- #628
- “zahlen” frequency rank
- 13475
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zähle | zahlen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zählen | Geld für eine Ware oder Leistung geben |
Where the eye mixes zähle and zahlen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. zähle runs 5 letters (CVCCV) against zahlen's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zähle and zahlen
A purely visual mix-up. zähle ([ˈt͡sɛːlə]) and zahlen ([ˈt͡saːlən]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13475, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zähle is recorded at frequency rank #12,847, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːlə]. zahlen is at rank #628, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡saːlən].
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 13475, this pair ranks #1,957,752 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zähle vs zahlen
Shared letters: ehlz. Private to "zähle": ä. Private to "zahlen": an.
"zähle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "zahlen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- zahlen ← azhlen · zaheln · zahhlen · zahlenn · zahllen · zahlne · zalhen · zhalen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zähle" and "zahlen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zähle" or "zahlen"?
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 "zähle" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zahlen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,957,752 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zähle" and "zahlen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zähle vs Zählern". 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 #1,957,752 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.