Which to use
“verbrechen” and “verkriechen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,624
- “verbrechen” frequency rank
- #44,328
- “verkriechen” frequency rank
- 46952
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verbrechen | verkriechen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas Dummes, Unrechtes, Schlechtes tun | sich aus der Öffentlichkeit an einen schützenden Ort zurückziehen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verbrechen and verkriechen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. verbrechen ([fɛɐ̯ˈbʁɛçn̩]) and verkriechen ([fɛɐ̯ˈkʁiːçn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46952, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verbrechen is recorded at frequency rank #2,624, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈbʁɛçn̩]. verkriechen is at rank #44,328, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈkʁiːçn̩].
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 46952, this pair ranks #1,301,327 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of verbrechen vs verkriechen
Shared letters: cehnrv. Private to "verbrechen": b. Private to "verkriechen": ik.
"verbrechen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC · "verkriechen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCCVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- verbrechen ← evrbrechen · vebrrechen · verbbrechen · verberchen · verbrcehen · verbrecchen · verbrecehn · verbrechenn
- verkriechen ← evrkriechen · vekrriechen · verkirechen · verkkriechen · verkreichen · verkricehen · verkriecchen · verkriecehn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verbrechen" and "verkriechen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verbrechen" or "verkriechen"?
Remembering verbrechen vs verkriechen
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 “verbrechen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable