ZeitenvsZeitungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#872
“Zeiten” frequency rank
#919
“Zeitung” frequency rank
1791
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Zeiten Zeitung
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Zeit gedrucktes, in kurzen und regelmäßigen Abständen herausgegebenes Nachrichtenmedium; veröffentlicht vor allem aktuelle Nachrichten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Zeiten and Zeitung apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Zeiten
7 ch
Zeitung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Zeiten ([ˈt͡saɪ̯tən]) and Zeitung ([ˈt͡saɪ̯tʊŋ]) 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 1791, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Zeiten is recorded at frequency rank #872, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯tən]. Zeitung is at rank #919, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈt͡saɪ̯tʊŋ].

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 1791, this pair ranks #2,003,727 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Zeiten vs Zeitung

Shared letters: eintz. Private to "Zeiten": -. Private to "Zeitung": gu.

"Zeiten" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC  ·  "Zeitung" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Zeiteneziten · zeietn · zeitenn · zeitne · zeitten · zetien · zieten · zzeiten
  • Zeitungezitung · zeitnug · zeittung · zeitugn · zeitungg · zeitunng · zeiutng · zetiung

Frequency comparison

Zeiten#872
Zeitung#919

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Zeiten" and "Zeitung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt͡saɪ̯tən] versus [ˈt͡saɪ̯tʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Zeiten" or "Zeitung"?
"Zeiten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #872 in our German list, against #919 for "Zeitung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Zeiten vs Zeitung

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 “Zeiten” 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