Which to use
“zweifeln” and “zweifle” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,309
- “zweifeln” frequency rank
- #21,860
- “zweifle” frequency rank
- 31169
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | zweifeln | zweifle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Zweifeln ausgesetzt sein, sich nicht recht entscheiden können und unsicher sein | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs zweifeln |
Where the eye mixes zweifeln and zweifle
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. zweifeln runs 8 letters (CCVVCVCC) against zweifle's 7 (CCVVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: zweifeln vs zweifle
A purely visual mix-up. zweifeln ([ˈt͡svaɪ̯fl̩n]) and zweifle ([ˈt͡svaɪ̯flə]) 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 31169, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
zweifeln is recorded at frequency rank #9,309, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡svaɪ̯fl̩n]. zweifle is at rank #21,860, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈt͡svaɪ̯flə].
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 31169, this pair ranks #1,733,466 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of zweifeln vs zweifle
Shared letters: efilwz. Private to "zweifeln": n. Private to "zweifle": -.
"zweifeln" · 8 letters · shape CCVVCVCC · "zweifle" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "zweifeln" for "zweifle" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "zweifeln" or "zweifle" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "zweifeln" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zweifle" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,733,466 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "zweifeln" and "zweifle" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zweifelte vs zweifle". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,733,466 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.