Which to use
“zugeben” and “zusehen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,135
- “zugeben” frequency rank
- #7,554
- “zusehen” frequency rank
- 12689
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zugeben | zusehen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas als richtig, zutreffend bestätigen; einer fremden Behauptung Richtigkeit zubilligen eine eigene Tat einräumen, eingestehen | etwas (passiv) anschauen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zugeben and zusehen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. zugeben ([ˈt͡suːˌɡeːbn̩]) and zusehen ([ˈt͡suːˌzeːən]) 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 12689, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zugeben is recorded at frequency rank #5,135, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌɡeːbn̩]. zusehen is at rank #7,554, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌzeːən].
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 12689, this pair ranks #1,962,652 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zugeben vs zusehen
Shared letters: enuz. Private to "zugeben": bg. Private to "zusehen": hs.
"zugeben" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC · "zusehen" · 7 letters · shape CVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zugeben" and "zusehen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zugeben" or "zusehen"?
Remembering zugeben vs zusehen
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 “zugeben” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable