Which to use
“verärgern” and “verzögern” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,922
- “verärgern” frequency rank
- #21,468
- “verzögern” frequency rank
- 64390
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verärgern | verzögern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem die Laune verderben, Missmut (Ärger) hervorrufen | einen Ablauf unterbrechen, so dass ein bestimmtes Ereignis später eintrifft |
Where the eye mixes verärgern and verzögern
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. verärgern (CVCVCCVCC) and verzögern (CVCCVCVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: verärgern vs verzögern
A purely visual mix-up. verärgern ([fɛɐ̯ˈʔɛʁɡɐn]) and verzögern ([fɛɐ̯ˈt͡søːɡɐn]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64390, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verärgern is recorded at frequency rank #42,922, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʔɛʁɡɐn]. verzögern is at rank #21,468, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈt͡søːɡɐn].
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 64390, this pair ranks #643,322 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of verärgern vs verzögern
Shared letters: egnrv. Private to "verärgern": ä. Private to "verzögern": zö.
"verärgern" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCCVCC · "verzögern" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verärgern" and "verzögern" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verärgern" or "verzögern"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "verärgern" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "verzögern" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #643,322 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "verärgern" and "verzögern" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verankern vs verärgern". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #643,322 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.