Which to use
“zurückbringen” and “zurückzubringen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #32,381
- “zurückbringen” frequency rank
- #47,157
- “zurückzubringen” frequency rank
- 79538
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückbringen | zurückzubringen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden oder etwas wieder dorthin bringen, wo er/sie/es zuvor hergekommen ist | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückbringen |
Where the eye mixes zurückbringen and zurückzubringen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. zurückbringen runs 13 letters (CVCVCCCCVCCVC) against zurückzubringen's 15 (CVCVCCCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zurückbringen and zurückzubringen
A purely visual mix-up. zurückbringen ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌbʁɪŋən]) and zurückzubringen ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌbʁɪŋən]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 79538, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückbringen is recorded at frequency rank #32,381, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌbʁɪŋən]. zurückzubringen is at rank #47,157, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌbʁɪŋən].
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 79538, this pair ranks #214,382 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of zurückbringen vs zurückzubringen
Shared letters: bcegiknruzü. Private to "zurückbringen": -. Private to "zurückzubringen": -.
"zurückbringen" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCCVCCVC · "zurückzubringen" · 15 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zurückbringen" for "zurückzubringen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "zurückbringen" or "zurückzubringen" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückbringen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzubringen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #214,382 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
Confusion rank #214,382 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.