Which to use
“verboten” is an adjective and “Vorboten” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,132
- “verboten” frequency rank
- #49,362
- “Vorboten” frequency rank
- 51494
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verboten | Vorboten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht erlaubt | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Vorbote |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verboten and Vorboten 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 Vorboten is [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌboːtn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “verboten” becomes o in “Vorboten”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51494, 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]. Vorboten is at rank #49,362, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌboːtn̩].
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 51494, this pair ranks #1,133,402 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of verboten vs Vorboten
Shared letters: benortv. Private to "verboten": -. Private to "Vorboten": -.
"verboten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "Vorboten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verboten" and "Vorboten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verboten" or "Vorboten"?
Remembering verboten vs Vorboten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “verboten”; for a noun, it's “Vorboten”.
- 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