Which to use
“verfolgen” is a verb and “Verfolgung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,795
- “verfolgen” frequency rank
- #4,945
- “Verfolgung” frequency rank
- 7740
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verfolgen | Verfolgung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem hinterher fahren oder gehen, eventuell um ihn einzuholen; jemandem auf den Fersen sein | das Nachstellen, zum Beispiel um etwas zu beobachten, einzuholen oder zu ergreifen |
Where the eye mixes verfolgen and Verfolgung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses verfolgen with Verfolgung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verfolgen is [fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩] while Verfolgung is [fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡʊŋ]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7740, 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]. Verfolgung is at rank #4,945, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡʊŋ].
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 7740, this pair ranks #1,987,063 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verfolgen vs Verfolgung
Shared letters: efglnorv. Private to "verfolgen": -. Private to "Verfolgung": u.
"verfolgen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC · "Verfolgung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- verfolgen ← evrfolgen · vefrolgen · verffolgen · verfoglen · verfolegn · verfolgenn · verfolggen · verfolgne
- Verfolgung ← evrfolgung · vefrolgung · verffolgung · verflogung · verfoglung · verfolggung · verfolgnug · verfolgugn
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "verfolgen" and "Verfolgung" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "verfolgen" vs "Verfolgung" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "verfolgen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Verfolgung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,987,063 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "verfolgen" and "Verfolgung" 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 #1,987,063 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.