Which to use
“zurückholen” and “zurückzuholen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,004
- “zurückholen” frequency rank
- #36,142
- “zurückzuholen” frequency rank
- 61146
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückholen | zurückzuholen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas, das seinen Platz/Ort verlassen hat oder weggebracht/weggenommen wurde, wieder dorthin schaffen, wo es herkam | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückholen |
Where the eye mixes zurückholen and zurückzuholen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. zurückholen runs 11 letters (CVCVCCCVCVC) against zurückzuholen's 13 (CVCVCCCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zurückholen and zurückzuholen
A purely visual mix-up. zurückholen ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌhoːlən]) and zurückzuholen ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌhoːlən]) 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 61146, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückholen is recorded at frequency rank #25,004, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌhoːlən]. zurückzuholen is at rank #36,142, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌhoːlən].
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 61146, this pair ranks #760,645 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zurückholen vs zurückzuholen
Shared letters: cehklnoruzü. Private to "zurückholen": -. Private to "zurückzuholen": -.
"zurückholen" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVC · "zurückzuholen" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "zurückholen" and "zurückzuholen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "zurückholen" vs "zurückzuholen" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückholen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzuholen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #760,645 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückholen" and "zurückzuholen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückzuhalten vs zurückzuholen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #760,645 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.