Which to use
“zurückhalten” and “zurückzuhalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #15,537
- “zurückhalten” frequency rank
- #42,972
- “zurückzuhalten” frequency rank
- 58509
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückhalten | zurückzuhalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden oder etwas nicht gehen lassen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückhalten |
Where the eye mixes zurückhalten and zurückzuhalten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. zurückhalten runs 12 letters (CVCVCCCVCCVC) against zurückzuhalten's 14 (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zurückhalten and zurückzuhalten
A purely visual mix-up. zurückhalten ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌhaltn̩]) 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 differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58509, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückhalten is recorded at frequency rank #15,537, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌhaltn̩]. 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 58509, this pair ranks #860,037 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zurückhalten vs zurückzuhalten
Shared letters: acehklnrtuzü. Private to "zurückhalten": -. Private to "zurückzuhalten": -.
"zurückhalten" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC · "zurückzuhalten" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zurückhalten" and "zurückzuhalten" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "zurückhalten" vs "zurückzuhalten" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "zurückhalten" and "zurückzuhalten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückhalten" 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 #860,037 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückhalten" and "zurückzuhalten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückzuhalten vs zurückzuholen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #860,037 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.