Which to use
“zurückgekommen” and “zurückgenommen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,585
- “zurückgekommen” frequency rank
- #22,229
- “zurückgenommen” frequency rank
- 44814
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückgekommen | zurückgenommen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs zurückkommen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs zurücknehmen |
Where the eye mixes zurückgekommen and zurückgenommen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. zurückgekommen and zurückgenommen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: zurückgekommen vs zurückgenommen
A purely visual mix-up. zurückgekommen ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌkɔmən]) and zurückgenommen ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌnɔmən]) 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 a single letter - k in “zurückgekommen” becomes n in “zurückgenommen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44814, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückgekommen is recorded at frequency rank #22,585, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌkɔmən]. zurückgenommen is at rank #22,229, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌnɔmən].
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 44814, this pair ranks #1,373,869 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zurückgekommen vs zurückgenommen
Shared letters: cegkmnoruzü. Private to "zurückgekommen": -. Private to "zurückgenommen": -.
"zurückgekommen" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC · "zurückgenommen" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zurückgekommen" for "zurückgenommen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "zurückgekommen" or "zurückgenommen"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgekommen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgenommen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,373,869 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückgekommen" and "zurückgenommen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückbekommen vs zurückgekommen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,373,869 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.