Which to use
“zurückkehren” and “zurückzukehren” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,791
- “zurückkehren” frequency rank
- #10,599
- “zurückzukehren” frequency rank
- 16390
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückkehren | zurückzukehren |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | wieder an den Ausgangspunkt gehen | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückkehren |
Where the eye mixes zurückkehren and zurückzukehren
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 12 letters in sequence. zurückkehren runs 12 letters (CVCVCCCVCCVC) against zurückzukehren's 14 (CVCVCCCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses zurückkehren with zurückzukehren
A purely visual mix-up. zurückkehren ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌkeːʁən]) and zurückzukehren ([t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌkeːʁən]) 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 16390, 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]. zurückzukehren is at rank #10,599, tagged as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkt͡suˌkeːʁən].
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 16390, this pair ranks #1,936,242 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zurückkehren vs zurückzukehren
Shared letters: cehknruzü. Private to "zurückkehren": -. Private to "zurückzukehren": -.
"zurückkehren" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC · "zurückzukehren" · 14 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "zurückkehren" and "zurückzukehren" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "zurückkehren" vs "zurückzukehren" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückkehren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzukehren" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,936,242 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückkehren" and "zurückzukehren" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückkehren vs zurückkehrten". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,936,242 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.