Which to use
“zeigen” and “zelten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #448
- “zeigen” frequency rank
- #18,132
- “zelten” frequency rank
- 18580
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zeigen | zelten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden etwas sehen lassen | in einem Zelt wohnen |
Where the eye mixes zeigen and zelten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. zeigen (CVVCVC) and zelten (CVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses zeigen with zelten
A purely visual mix-up. zeigen ([ˈt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩]) and zelten ([ˈt͡sɛltn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18580, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zeigen is recorded at frequency rank #448, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯ɡn̩]. zelten is at rank #18,132, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡sɛltn̩].
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 18580, this pair ranks #1,916,900 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zeigen vs zelten
Shared letters: enz. Private to "zeigen": gi. Private to "zelten": lt.
"zeigen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "zelten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zeigen" and "zelten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zeigen" or "zelten"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "zeigen" and "zelten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zeigen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zelten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,916,900 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zeigen" and "zelten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zechen vs zelten". 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 #1,916,900 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.