Which to use
“verboten” is an adjective and “verrotten” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,132
- “verboten” frequency rank
- #48,596
- “verrotten” frequency rank
- 50728
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verboten | verrotten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht erlaubt | in den Zersetzungsprozess übergehen, bis aus organischem Material Humus/Erde geworden ist |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verboten and verrotten apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: verboten is [fɛɐ̯ˈboːtn̩] while verrotten is [fɛɐ̯ˈʁɔtn̩]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50728, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verboten is recorded at frequency rank #2,132, classified as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈboːtn̩]. verrotten is at rank #48,596, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʁɔtn̩].
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 50728, this pair ranks #1,162,738 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of verboten vs verrotten
Shared letters: enortv. Private to "verboten": b. Private to "verrotten": -.
"verboten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "verrotten" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verboten" and "verrotten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verboten" or "verrotten"?
Remembering verboten vs verrotten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “verboten”; for a verb, it's “verrotten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verboten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable