Which to use
“zurückgehalten” and “zurückzuhalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,588
- “zurückgehalten” frequency rank
- #42,972
- “zurückzuhalten” frequency rank
- 67560
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückgehalten | zurückzuhalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs zurückhalten | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückhalten |
Where the eye mixes zurückgehalten and zurückzuhalten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. zurückgehalten and zurückzuhalten follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Visual trap between zurückgehalten and zurückzuhalten
A purely visual mix-up. zurückgehalten ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌhaltn̩]) and zurückzuhalten ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌhaltn̩]) 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 67560, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückgehalten is recorded at frequency rank #24,588, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌhaltn̩]. zurückzuhalten is at rank #42,972, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌhaltn̩].
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 67560, this pair ranks #536,152 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zurückgehalten vs zurückzuhalten
Shared letters: acehklnrtuzü. Private to "zurückgehalten": g. Private to "zurückzuhalten": -.
"zurückgehalten" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC · "zurückzuhalten" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "zurückgehalten" and "zurückzuhalten" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "zurückgehalten" vs "zurückzuhalten" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgehalten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzuhalten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #536,152 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückgehalten" and "zurückzuhalten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückzuhalten vs zurückzuholen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #536,152 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.