Which to use
“Zeichen” and “Zeichens” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,148
- “Zeichen” frequency rank
- #30,879
- “Zeichens” frequency rank
- 32027
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Zeichen | Zeichens |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas sinnlich Vernehmbares, das als Hinweis für etwas dient | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Zeichen |
Where the eye mixes Zeichen and Zeichens
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Zeichen runs 7 letters (CVVCCVC) against Zeichens's 8 (CVVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Zeichen with Zeichens
A purely visual mix-up. Zeichen ([ˈt͡saɪ̯çn̩]) and Zeichens ([ˈt͡saɪ̯çn̩s]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Zeichen” sits inside “Zeichens”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32027, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Zeichen is recorded at frequency rank #1,148, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯çn̩]. Zeichens is at rank #30,879, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯çn̩s].
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 32027, this pair ranks #1,716,228 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Zeichen vs Zeichens
Shared letters: cehinz. Private to "Zeichen": -. Private to "Zeichens": s.
"Zeichen" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC · "Zeichens" · 8 letters · shape CVVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Zeichen" and "Zeichens" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "Zeichen" or "Zeichens" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Zeichen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Zeichens" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,716,228 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Zeichen" and "Zeichens" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zechen vs Zeichens". 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 #1,716,228 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.