Which to use
“zurückführen” and “zurückzuführen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,584
- “zurückführen” frequency rank
- #6,493
- “zurückzuführen” frequency rank
- 29077
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückführen | zurückzuführen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | an den Herkunftsort bringen | erweiterter Infinitiv Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zurückführen |
Where the eye mixes zurückführen and zurückzuführen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. zurückführen runs 12 letters (CVCVCCCVCCVC) against zurückzuführen's 14 (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses zurückführen with zurückzuführen
A purely visual mix-up. zurückführen ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌfyːʁən]) and zurückzuführen ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌfyːʁən]) 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 29077, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückführen is recorded at frequency rank #22,584, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌfyːʁən]. zurückzuführen is at rank #6,493, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌfyːʁən].
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 29077, this pair ranks #1,773,471 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zurückführen vs zurückzuführen
Shared letters: cefhknruzü. Private to "zurückführen": -. Private to "zurückzuführen": -.
"zurückführen" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC · "zurückzuführen" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zurückführen" for "zurückzuführen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "zurückführen" or "zurückzuführen" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "zurückführen" and "zurückzuführen" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückführen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzuführen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,773,471 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückführen" and "zurückzuführen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückfahren vs zurückführen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,773,471 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.