Which to use
“zerstöre” is a verb and “zerstört” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #33,398
- “zerstöre” frequency rank
- #1,835
- “zerstört” frequency rank
- 35233
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zerstöre | zerstört |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zerstören | gewaltsam und mutwillig kaputt gemacht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zerstöre and zerstört apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: zerstöre is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːʁə] while zerstört is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːɐ̯t]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “zerstöre” becomes t in “zerstört”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35233, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zerstöre is recorded at frequency rank #33,398, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːʁə]. zerstört is at rank #1,835, tagged as anadj, pronounced [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃtøːɐ̯t].
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 35233, this pair ranks #1,644,819 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zerstöre vs zerstört
Shared letters: erstzö. Private to "zerstöre": -. Private to "zerstört": -.
"zerstöre" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCV · "zerstört" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zerstöre" and "zerstört" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zerstöre" or "zerstört"?
Remembering zerstöre vs zerstört
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “zerstöre”; for an adjective, it's “zerstört”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zerstöre” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable