Which to use
“zurückgeben” and “zurückgegeben” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,008
- “zurückgeben” frequency rank
- #15,277
- “zurückgegeben” frequency rank
- 27285
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückgeben | zurückgegeben |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Gegenstand wieder in den Besitz der Person geben, die den Gegenstand zuvor hatte, beziehungsweise wieder in den Besitz des Eigentümers geben | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs zurückgeben |
Where the eye mixes zurückgeben and zurückgegeben
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. zurückgeben runs 11 letters (CVCVCCCVCVC) against zurückgegeben's 13 (CVCVCCCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses zurückgeben with zurückgegeben
A purely visual mix-up. zurückgeben ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌɡeːbn̩]) and zurückgegeben ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌɡeːbn̩]) 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 27285, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückgeben is recorded at frequency rank #12,008, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌɡeːbn̩]. zurückgegeben is at rank #15,277, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌɡeːbn̩].
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 27285, this pair ranks #1,804,262 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zurückgeben vs zurückgegeben
Shared letters: bcegknruzü. Private to "zurückgeben": -. Private to "zurückgegeben": -.
"zurückgeben" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVC · "zurückgegeben" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zurückgeben" for "zurückgegeben" ever safe?
Which is more common, "zurückgeben" or "zurückgegeben"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "zurückgeben" and "zurückgegeben" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgeben" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgegeben" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,804,262 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückgeben" and "zurückgegeben" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückgegeben vs zurückzugeben". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,804,262 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.