Which to use
“zuweilen” is an adverb and “zuwenden” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,294
- “zuweilen” frequency rank
- #30,405
- “zuwenden” frequency rank
- 43699
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zuweilen | zuwenden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu bestimmten Zeiten, aber nicht regelmäßig; für eine Weile und später wieder für eine Weile | den Kopf/Körper in Richtung auf etwas/jemanden hinwenden |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set zuweilen and zuwenden apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: zuweilen is [t͡suˈvaɪ̯lən] while zuwenden is [ˈt͡suːˌvɛndn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43699, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zuweilen is recorded at frequency rank #13,294, classified as anadv, pronounced [t͡suˈvaɪ̯lən]. zuwenden is at rank #30,405, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡suːˌvɛndn̩].
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 43699, this pair ranks #1,409,744 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of zuweilen vs zuwenden
Shared letters: enuwz. Private to "zuweilen": il. Private to "zuwenden": d.
"zuweilen" · 8 letters · shape CVCVVCVC · "zuwenden" · 8 letters · shape CVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "zuweilen" and "zuwenden" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "zuweilen" or "zuwenden"?
Remembering zuweilen vs zuwenden
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “zuweilen”; for a verb, it's “zuwenden”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “zuweilen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable