Which to use
“überzeugen” is a verb and “überzogen” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,423
- “überzeugen” frequency rank
- #10,987
- “überzogen” frequency rank
- 13410
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | überzeugen | überzogen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem die Richtigkeit glaubhaft machen | unrealistisch überhöht |
Where the eye mixes überzeugen and überzogen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. überzeugen runs 10 letters (VCVCCVVCVC) against überzogen's 9 (VCVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: überzeugen vs überzogen
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: überzeugen is [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡŋ̍] while überzogen is [ˌyːbɐˈt͡soːɡŋ̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13410, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
überzeugen is recorded at frequency rank #2,423, classified as averb, pronounced [yːbɐˈt͡sɔɪ̯ɡŋ̍]. überzogen is at rank #10,987, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˌyːbɐˈt͡soːɡŋ̩].
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 13410, this pair ranks #1,958,173 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of überzeugen vs überzogen
Shared letters: begnrzü. Private to "überzeugen": u. Private to "überzogen": o.
"überzeugen" · 10 letters · shape VCVCCVVCVC · "überzogen" · 9 letters · shape VCVCCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "überzeugen" and "überzogen" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "überzeugen" vs "überzogen" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "überzeugen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "überzogen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,958,173 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "überzeugen" and "überzogen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "überflogen vs überzogen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,958,173 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.