Which to use
“verfolgen” and “verfolgt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,795
- “verfolgen” frequency rank
- #2,271
- “verfolgt” frequency rank
- 5066
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verfolgen | verfolgt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem hinterher fahren oder gehen, eventuell um ihn einzuholen; jemandem auf den Fersen sein | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs verfolgen |
Where the eye mixes verfolgen and verfolgt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. verfolgen runs 9 letters (CVCCVCCVC) against verfolgt's 8 (CVCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: verfolgen vs verfolgt
A purely visual mix-up. verfolgen ([fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]) and verfolgt ([fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlkt]) 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 5066, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verfolgen is recorded at frequency rank #2,795, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]. verfolgt is at rank #2,271, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlkt].
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 5066, this pair ranks #1,995,880 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verfolgen vs verfolgt
Shared letters: efglorv. Private to "verfolgen": n. Private to "verfolgt": t.
"verfolgen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC · "verfolgt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verfolgen" and "verfolgt" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "verfolgen" or "verfolgt" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "verfolgen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "verfolgt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,995,880 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "verfolgen" and "verfolgt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verbogen vs verfolgen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,995,880 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.