ZahnvsZähneWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Zahn” and “Zähne” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#7,428
“Zahn” frequency rank
#3,865
“Zähne” frequency rank
11293
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Zahn Zähne
Definition Teil des Gebisses von Menschen und Wirbeltieren Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Zahn

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Zahn and Zähne apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Zahn
5 ch
Zähne

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Zahn ([t͡saːn]) and Zähne ([ˈt͡sɛːnə]) 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 11293, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Zahn is recorded at frequency rank #7,428, classified as anoun, pronounced [t͡saːn]. 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 11293, this pair ranks #1,970,636 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Zahn vs Zähne

Shared letters: hnz. Private to "Zahn": a. Private to "Zähne": .

"Zahn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Zähne" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Zahnazhn · zahhn · zahnn · zanh · zhan · zzahn

Frequency comparison

Zahn#7,428
Zähne#3,865

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Zahn" and "Zähne" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([t͡saːn] versus [ˈt͡sɛːnə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Zahn" or "Zähne"?
"Zähne" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,865 in our German list, against #7,428 for "Zahn". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Zahn vs Zähne

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Zahn” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list