zeigtvszerrtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#399
“zeigt” frequency rank
#43,654
“zerrt” frequency rank
44053
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature zeigt zerrt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zeigen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zerren

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
zeigt
5 ch
zerrt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. zeigt ([t͡saɪ̯kt]) and zerrt ([t͡sɛʁt]) 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 44053, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zeigt is recorded at frequency rank #399, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡saɪ̯kt]. zerrt is at rank #43,654, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡sɛʁt].

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 44053, this pair ranks #1,398,557 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of zeigt vs zerrt

Shared letters: etz. Private to "zeigt": gi. Private to "zerrt": r.

"zeigt" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC  ·  "zerrt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • zeigtezigt · zegit · zeiggt · zeigtt · zeitg · ziegt · zzeigt
  • zerrtezrrt · zerrtt · zert · zertr · zrert · zzerrt

Frequency comparison

zeigt#399
zerrt#43,654

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zeigt" and "zerrt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([t͡saɪ̯kt] versus [t͡sɛʁt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "zeigt" or "zerrt"?
"zeigt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #399 in our German list, against #43,654 for "zerrt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering zeigt vs zerrt

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 “zeigt” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list