zähen

[ˈt͡sɛːən]

/[ˈt͡sɛːən]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“zähen” has 5 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #37,326. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,326
frequency rank, German
37,643
“Z” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

zähen vs Zahl
20% similar
zähen vs zehn
60% similar
zähen vs Zaun
20% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for zähen
PropertyValue
Headwordzähen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈt͡sɛːən]
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,326
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zähen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). zähen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around zähen (IPA [ˈt͡sɛːən]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #37,326 among 37,643 “Z” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for zähen, with forms such as "zhäen", "zzähen", and "zäehn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Zahl", "zehn", "Zaun", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is zähen, spelled Z-Ä-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  3. 3
    Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  4. 4
    Dativ Plural alle Genera der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  5. 5
    Genitiv Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  6. 6
    Dativ Singular alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  8. 8
    Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der schwachen Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  9. 9
    Genitiv Singular alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  10. 10
    Dativ Singular alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  11. 11
    Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
  12. 12
    Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der gemischten Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • zhäen
  • zzähen
  • zäehn
  • zähhen
  • äzhen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of zähen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

zhäen2zzähen1zäehn2zähhen1äzhen2
Edit distance from "zähen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "zähen"?
"zähen" is spelled Z-Ä-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈt͡sɛːən].
What does "zähen" mean?
As an adjective, "zähen" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs zäh
What words are commonly confused with "zähen"?
"zähen" is commonly confused with "Zahl", "zehn", "Zaun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "zähen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zähen" is [ˈt͡sɛːən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zähen" come from?
"zähen" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “zähen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is Z-Ä-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈt͡sɛːən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Zahl” - see the side-by-side comparison. zähen vs Zahl
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

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