Which to use
“herben” is an adjective and “hergeben” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #40,593
- “herben” frequency rank
- #22,013
- “hergeben” frequency rank
- 62606
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | herben | hergeben |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs herb | jemandem etwas reichen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set herben and hergeben 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: herben is [ˈhɛʁbn̩] while hergeben is [ˈheːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62606, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
herben is recorded at frequency rank #40,593, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛʁbn̩]. hergeben is at rank #22,013, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈheːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩].
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 62606, this pair ranks #706,699 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of herben vs hergeben
Shared letters: behnr. Private to "herben": -. Private to "hergeben": g.
"herben" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "hergeben" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "herben" and "hergeben" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "herben" or "hergeben"?
Remembering herben vs hergeben
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “herben”; for a verb, it's “hergeben”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “herben” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable