Which to use
“zurückkehren” and “zurückkehrten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,791
- “zurückkehren” frequency rank
- #42,971
- “zurückkehrten” frequency rank
- 48762
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückkehren | zurückkehrten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | wieder an den Ausgangspunkt gehen | 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs zurückkehren |
Where the eye mixes zurückkehren and zurückkehrten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. zurückkehren runs 12 letters (CVCVCCCVCCVC) against zurückkehrten's 13 (CVCVCCCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zurückkehren and zurückkehrten
A purely visual mix-up. zurückkehren ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌkeːʁən]) and zurückkehrten ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌkeːɐ̯tn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48762, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückkehren is recorded at frequency rank #5,791, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌkeːʁən]. zurückkehrten is at rank #42,971, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌkeːɐ̯tn̩].
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 48762, this pair ranks #1,236,612 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zurückkehren vs zurückkehrten
Shared letters: cehknruzü. Private to "zurückkehren": -. Private to "zurückkehrten": t.
"zurückkehren" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC · "zurückkehrten" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zurückkehren" for "zurückkehrten" ever safe?
Frequency check: "zurückkehren" vs "zurückkehrten" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "zurückkehren" and "zurückkehrten" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückkehren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückkehrten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,236,612 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückkehren" and "zurückkehrten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückkehrte vs zurückkehrten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,236,612 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.