zeigvsZeugsWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: zeig is a verb, Zeugs is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“zeig” is a verb and “Zeugs” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#6,028
“zeig” frequency rank
#18,133
“Zeugs” frequency rank
24161
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature zeig Zeugs
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zeigen eine Masse oder mehrere Dinge, die als unwichtig, wertlos oder störend empfunden und aus Abneigung nicht genauer benannt werden

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
zeig
5 ch
Zeugs

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zeig is [t͡saɪ̯k] while Zeugs is [t͡sɔɪ̯ks]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24161, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zeig is recorded at frequency rank #6,028, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡saɪ̯k]. Zeugs is at rank #18,133, tagged as anoun, pronounced [t͡sɔɪ̯ks].

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 24161, this pair ranks #1,851,536 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of zeig vs Zeugs

Shared letters: egz. Private to "zeig": i. Private to "Zeugs": su.

"zeig" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "Zeugs" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • zeigezig · zegi · zeigg · zieg · zzeig
  • Zeugsezugs · zegus · zeuggs · zeugss · zeusg · zzeugs

Frequency comparison

zeig#6,028
Zeugs#18,133

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zeig" and "Zeugs" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "zeig" is a verb and "Zeugs" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "zeig" or "Zeugs"?
"zeig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,028 in our German list, against #18,133 for "Zeugs". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering zeig vs Zeugs

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “zeig”; for a noun, it's “Zeugs”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zeig” 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