Which to use
“zähle” is a verb and “Zähne” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #12,847
- “zähle” frequency rank
- #3,865
- “Zähne” frequency rank
- 16712
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zähle | Zähne |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zählen | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Zahn |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zähle and Zähne apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: zähle is [ˈt͡sɛːlə] while Zähne is [ˈt͡sɛːnə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - l in “zähle” becomes n in “Zähne”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 16712, 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]. Zähne is at rank #3,865, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛːnə].
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 16712, this pair ranks #1,933,598 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zähle vs Zähne
Shared letters: ehzä. Private to "zähle": l. Private to "Zähne": n.
"zähle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "Zähne" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zähle" and "Zähne" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zähle" or "Zähne"?
Remembering zähle vs Zähne
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “zähle”; for a noun, it's “Zähne”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zähle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable