zurückgegebenvszurückzugebenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“zurückgegeben” and “zurückzugeben” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#15,277
“zurückgegeben” frequency rank
#23,386
“zurückzugeben” frequency rank
38663
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature zurückgegeben zurückzugeben
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs zurückgeben erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückgeben

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zurückgegeben and zurückzugeben apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

13 ch
zurückgegeben
13 ch
zurückzugeben

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. zurückgegeben ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌɡeːbn̩]) and zurückzugeben ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌɡeːbn̩]) 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 38663, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zurückgegeben is recorded at frequency rank #15,277, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌɡeːbn̩]. zurückzugeben is at rank #23,386, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌɡeːbn̩].

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 38663, this pair ranks #1,557,971 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of zurückgegeben vs zurückzugeben

Shared letters: bcegknruzü. Private to "zurückgegeben": -. Private to "zurückzugeben": -.

"zurückgegeben" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVC  ·  "zurückzugeben" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVC

Frequency comparison

zurückgegeben#15,277
zurückzugeben#23,386

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zurückgegeben" and "zurückzugeben" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌɡeːbn̩] versus [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌɡeːbn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "zurückgegeben" or "zurückzugeben"?
"zurückgegeben" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,277 in our German list, against #23,386 for "zurückzugeben". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering zurückgegeben vs zurückzugeben

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 “zurückgegeben” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list