Which to use
“zurückzahlen” and “zurückzuholen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #17,784
- “zurückzahlen” frequency rank
- #36,142
- “zurückzuholen” frequency rank
- 53926
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zurückzahlen | zurückzuholen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | geliehenes Geld zurückgeben | erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs zurückholen |
Where the eye mixes zurückzahlen and zurückzuholen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. zurückzahlen runs 12 letters (CVCVCCCVCCVC) against zurückzuholen's 13 (CVCVCCCVCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between zurückzahlen and zurückzuholen
A purely visual mix-up. zurückzahlen ([t͡suˈʁʏkˌt͡saːlən]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 53926, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zurückzahlen is recorded at frequency rank #17,784, classified as averb, pronounced [t͡suˈʁʏkˌt͡saːlən]. 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 53926, this pair ranks #1,038,907 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zurückzahlen vs zurückzuholen
Shared letters: cehklnruzü. Private to "zurückzahlen": a. Private to "zurückzuholen": o.
"zurückzahlen" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC · "zurückzuholen" · 13 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zurückzahlen" for "zurückzuholen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "zurückzahlen" or "zurückzuholen" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "zurückzahlen" 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 #1,038,907 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zurückzahlen" and "zurückzuholen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zurückzuhalten vs zurückzuholen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,038,907 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.