Which to use
“verborgen” and “verdorben” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,345
- “verborgen” frequency rank
- #20,767
- “verdorben” frequency rank
- 32112
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verborgen | verdorben |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | aufgrund der versteckten, abgelegenen Lage schwer zu erreichen oder zu finden | als Essen schlecht geworden, als Lebensmittel nicht mehr zum Verzehr geeignet |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verborgen and verdorben apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. verborgen ([fɛɐ̯ˈbɔʁɡn̩]) and verdorben ([fɛɐ̯ˈdɔʁbn̩]) 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 32112, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verborgen is recorded at frequency rank #11,345, classified as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈbɔʁɡn̩]. verdorben is at rank #20,767, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈdɔʁbn̩].
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 32112, this pair ranks #1,714,474 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verborgen vs verdorben
Shared letters: benorv. Private to "verborgen": g. Private to "verdorben": d.
"verborgen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC · "verdorben" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verborgen" and "verdorben" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verborgen" or "verdorben"?
Remembering verborgen vs verdorben
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verborgen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable