Which to use
“zähle” and “zählten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,847
- “zähle” frequency rank
- #14,219
- “zählten” frequency rank
- 27066
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zähle | zählten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zählen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs zählen |
Where the eye mixes zähle and zählten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. zähle runs 5 letters (CVCCV) against zählten's 7 (CVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses zähle with zählten
A purely visual mix-up. zähle ([ˈt͡sɛːlə]) and zählten ([ˈt͡sɛːltn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27066, 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]. zählten is at rank #14,219, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːltn̩].
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 27066, this pair ranks #1,807,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zähle vs zählten
Shared letters: ehlzä. Private to "zähle": -. Private to "zählten": nt.
"zähle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "zählten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zähle" and "zählten" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "zähle" vs "zählten" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "zähle" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zählten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,807,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zähle" and "zählten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Zählern vs zählten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,807,903 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.