verdirbtvsverwirktWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“verdirbt” and “verwirkt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#31,336
“verdirbt” frequency rank
#38,501
“verwirkt” frequency rank
69837
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verdirbt verwirkt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verderben 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verwirken

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verdirbt and verwirkt apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
verdirbt
8 ch
verwirkt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. verdirbt ([fɛɐ̯ˈdɪʁpt]) and verwirkt ([fɛɐ̯ˈvɪʁkt]) 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 69837, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verdirbt is recorded at frequency rank #31,336, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈdɪʁpt]. verwirkt is at rank #38,501, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈvɪʁkt].

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 69837, this pair ranks #464,454 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of verdirbt vs verwirkt

Shared letters: eirtv. Private to "verdirbt": bd. Private to "verwirkt": kw.

"verdirbt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC  ·  "verwirkt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • verdirbtevrdirbt · vedrirbt · verddirbt · verdibrt · verdirbbt · verdirbtt · verdirrbt · verdirtb
  • verwirktevrwirkt · veriwrkt · verrwirkt · verwikrt · verwirkkt · verwirktt · verwirrkt · verwirtk

Frequency comparison

verdirbt#31,336
verwirkt#38,501

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verdirbt" and "verwirkt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈdɪʁpt] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈvɪʁkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "verdirbt" or "verwirkt"?
"verdirbt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #31,336 in our German list, against #38,501 for "verwirkt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verdirbt vs verwirkt

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 “verdirbt” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list