zerschlagen

[t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩]

/[t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩]/ verb

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

The verdict

“zerschlagen” has 18 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #13,077. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,077
frequency rank, German
37,643
“Z” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas mit einem oder mehreren kräftigen Hieben zerstören

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

zerschlagen vs Zerschlagung
75% similar

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

Key facts for zerschlagen
PropertyValue
Headwordzerschlagen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩]
Letters11
Frequency rank#13,077
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zerschlagen” 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). zerschlagen 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 18 spelling variants around zerschlagen (IPA [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩]), averb. Corpus frequency is #13,077 among 37,643 “Z” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for zerschlagen, with forms such as "ezrschlagen", "zercshlagen", and "zerrschlagen". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Zerschlagung", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is zerschlagen, spelled Z-E-R-S-C-H-L-A-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas mit einem oder mehreren kräftigen Hieben zerstören
  2. 2
    eine gegnerische Gruppe von Menschen unschädlich machen
  3. 3
    etwas in kleinere Einheiten aufteilen
  4. 4
    scheitern, nicht zum Erfolg führen

This word in other languages

break(English)fracasser(Français)fracassar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ezrschlagen
  • zercshlagen
  • zerrschlagen
  • zerscchlagen
  • zerschalgen
  • zerschhlagen
  • zerschlaegn
  • zerschlagenn
  • zerschlaggen
  • zerschlagne
  • zerschlgaen
  • zerschllagen
  • zersclhagen
  • zershclagen
  • zersschlagen
  • zesrchlagen
  • zreschlagen
  • zzerschlagen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of zerschlagen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ezrschlagen2zercshlagen2zerrschlagen1zerscchlagen1zerschalgen2zerschhlagen1zerschlaegn2zerschlagenn1
Edit distance from "zerschlagen"

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 "zerschlagen"?
"zerschlagen" is spelled Z-E-R-S-C-H-L-A-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩].
What does "zerschlagen" mean?
As a verb, "zerschlagen" means: etwas mit einem oder mehreren kräftigen Hieben zerstören
What words are commonly confused with "zerschlagen"?
"zerschlagen" is commonly confused with "Zerschlagung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "zerschlagen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zerschlagen" is [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zerschlagen" come from?
"zerschlagen" 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 “zerschlagen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is Z-E-R-S-C-H-L-A-G-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃlaːɡn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Zerschlagung” - see the side-by-side comparison. zerschlagen vs Zerschlagung
  • 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