Which to use
“zurückgewinnen” and “zurückzugewinnen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,576
- “zurückgewinnen” frequency rank
- #34,473
- “zurückzugewinnen” frequency rank
- 70049
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückgewinnen | zurückzugewinnen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Verlorenes wiederbeschaffen, wiedererlangen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückgewinnen |
Where the eye mixes zurückgewinnen and zurückzugewinnen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 14 letters in sequence. zurückgewinnen runs 14 letters (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC) against zurückzugewinnen's 16 (CVCVCCCVCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: zurückgewinnen vs zurückzugewinnen
A purely visual mix-up. zurückgewinnen ([t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌvɪnən]) and zurückzugewinnen ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suɡəˌvɪnən]) 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 70049, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückgewinnen is recorded at frequency rank #35,576, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkɡəˌvɪnən]. zurückzugewinnen is at rank #34,473, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suɡəˌvɪnən].
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 70049, this pair ranks #458,019 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of zurückgewinnen vs zurückzugewinnen
Shared letters: cegiknruwzü. Private to "zurückgewinnen": -. Private to "zurückzugewinnen": -.
"zurückgewinnen" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC · "zurückzugewinnen" · 16 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zurückgewinnen" and "zurückzugewinnen" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "zurückgewinnen" or "zurückzugewinnen" show up more?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "zurückgewinnen" and "zurückzugewinnen" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückgewinnen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzugewinnen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #458,019 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückgewinnen" and "zurückzugewinnen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückgewiesen vs zurückgewinnen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #458,019 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.