Which to use
“zeigen” and “zeigten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #448
- “zeigen” frequency rank
- #4,089
- “zeigten” frequency rank
- 4537
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zeigen | zeigten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden etwas sehen lassen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs zeigen |
Where the eye mixes zeigen and zeigten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. zeigen runs 6 letters (CVVCVC) against zeigten's 7 (CVVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zeigen and zeigten
A purely visual mix-up. zeigen ([ˈt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩]) and zeigten ([ˈt͡saɪ̯ktn̩]) 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 4537, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zeigen is recorded at frequency rank #448, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩]. zeigten is at rank #4,089, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯ktn̩].
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 4537, this pair ranks #1,997,433 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zeigen vs zeigten
Shared letters: eginz. Private to "zeigen": -. Private to "zeigten": t.
"zeigen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "zeigten" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zeigen" and "zeigten" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "zeigen" vs "zeigten" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zeigen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zeigten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,997,433 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zeigen" and "zeigten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zeigten vs zeugte". 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 #1,997,433 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.