Which to use
“verfrüht” and “versprüht” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,908
- “verfrüht” frequency rank
- #39,108
- “versprüht” frequency rank
- 82016
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verfrüht | versprüht |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verfrühen | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs versprühen |
Where the eye mixes verfrüht and versprüht
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. verfrüht runs 8 letters (CVCCCVCC) against versprüht's 9 (CVCCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses verfrüht with versprüht
A purely visual mix-up. verfrüht ([fɛɐ̯ˈfʁyːt]) and versprüht ([ˌfɛɐ̯ˈʃpʁyːt]) 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 82016, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verfrüht is recorded at frequency rank #42,908, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈfʁyːt]. versprüht is at rank #39,108, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌfɛɐ̯ˈʃpʁyːt].
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 82016, this pair ranks #164,945 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of verfrüht vs versprüht
Shared letters: ehrtvü. Private to "verfrüht": f. Private to "versprüht": ps.
"verfrüht" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "versprüht" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "verfrüht" for "versprüht" ever safe?
Frequency check: "verfrüht" vs "versprüht" - which ranks higher?
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 "verfrüht" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "versprüht" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #164,945 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "verfrüht" and "versprüht" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "versprüht vs verspürt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #164,945 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.