zu

[t͡suː]

/[t͡suː]/ prep

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

The verdict

“zu” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #9 in German word frequency and used as a preposition.

#9
frequency rank, German
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - in Richtung auf

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

zu vs zum
67% similar
zu vs zur
67% similar
zu vs Zug
33% similar

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

Key facts for zu
PropertyValue
Headwordzu
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[t͡suː]
Letters2
Frequency rank#9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “zu” 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). zu lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for zu is 2 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t͡suː]. Corpus data places it at rank #9 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for zu in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "zum", "zur", "Zug", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is zu, spelled Z-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    in Richtung auf
  2. 2
    in Bezug auf
  3. 3
    zu der Zeit als, zu der Zeit innerhalb eines Zeitraumes
  4. 4
    Namenszusatz
  5. 5
    kennzeichnet in Abhängigkeit von anderen Wörtern verschiedener Wortart eine Beziehung

This word in other languages

to(English)a(Español)chez(Français)para(Português)

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 "zu"?
"zu" is spelled Z-U. The IPA pronunciation is [t͡suː].
What does "zu" mean?
As a preposition, "zu" means: in Richtung auf
What words are commonly confused with "zu"?
"zu" is commonly confused with "zum", "zur", "Zug". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "zu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zu" is [t͡suː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "zu" come from?
"zu" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “zu”

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

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