Which to use
“zerbrechen” is a verb and “zerbrochene” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,885
- “zerbrechen” frequency rank
- #45,714
- “zerbrochene” frequency rank
- 62599
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zerbrechen | zerbrochene |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | kaputtgehen (wenn es dabei Splitter oder Brocken erzeugt) | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zerbrochen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zerbrechen and zerbrochene apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zerbrechen is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈbʁɛçn̩] while zerbrochene is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈbʁɔxənə]. 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 adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62599, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zerbrechen is recorded at frequency rank #16,885, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈbʁɛçn̩]. zerbrochene is at rank #45,714, tagged as anadj, pronounced [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈbʁɔxənə].
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 62599, this pair ranks #706,968 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zerbrechen vs zerbrochene
Shared letters: bcehnrz. Private to "zerbrechen": -. Private to "zerbrochene": o.
"zerbrechen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC · "zerbrochene" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- zerbrechen ← ezrbrechen · zebrrechen · zerbbrechen · zerberchen · zerbrcehen · zerbrecchen · zerbrecehn · zerbrechenn
- zerbrochene ← ezrbrochene · zebrrochene · zerbbrochene · zerborchene · zerbrcohene · zerbrocchene · zerbrocehne · zerbrocheen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zerbrechen" and "zerbrochene" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zerbrechen" or "zerbrochene"?
Remembering zerbrechen vs zerbrochene
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “zerbrechen”; for an adjective, it's “zerbrochene”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zerbrechen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable