zuständigvszuständigenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“zuständig” and “zuständigen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#3,013
“zuständig” frequency rank
#4,953
“zuständigen” frequency rank
7966
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature zuständig zuständigen
Definition verantwortlich für etwas Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zuständig

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zuständig and zuständigen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
zuständig
11 ch
zuständigen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. zuständig ([ˈt͡suːˌʃtɛndɪç]) and zuständigen ([ˈt͡suːˌʃtɛndɪɡn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “zuständig” sits inside “zuständigen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7966, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

zuständig is recorded at frequency rank #3,013, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌʃtɛndɪç]. zuständigen is at rank #4,953, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌʃtɛndɪɡn̩].

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 7966, this pair ranks #1,986,131 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of zuständig vs zuständigen

Shared letters: dginstuzä. Private to "zuständig": -. Private to "zuständigen": e.

"zuständig" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "zuständigen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

zuständig#3,013
zuständigen#4,953

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "zuständig" and "zuständigen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈt͡suːˌʃtɛndɪç] versus [ˈt͡suːˌʃtɛndɪɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "zuständig" or "zuständigen"?
"zuständig" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,013 in our German list, against #4,953 for "zuständigen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering zuständig vs zuständigen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zuständig” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list