verfügenvsVergnügenWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: verfügen is a verb, Vergnügen is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“verfügen” is a verb and “Vergnügen” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#4,839
“verfügen” frequency rank
#4,748
“Vergnügen” frequency rank
9587
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verfügen Vergnügen
Definition als Person/Stelle mit Befugnis/Befehlsgewalt anordnen, dass etwas Genanntes geschehen soll Beglückung, helle oder heitere Stimmung, Frohgefühl

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verfügen and Vergnügen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
verfügen
9 ch
Vergnügen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verfügen is [fɛɐ̯ˈfyːɡn̩] while Vergnügen is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡnyːɡn̩]. 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 9587, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verfügen is recorded at frequency rank #4,839, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈfyːɡn̩]. Vergnügen is at rank #4,748, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡnyːɡn̩].

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 9587, this pair ranks #1,979,259 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verfügen vs Vergnügen

Shared letters: egnrvü. Private to "verfügen": f. Private to "Vergnügen": -.

"verfügen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "Vergnügen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVCVC

Frequency comparison

verfügen#4,839
Vergnügen#4,748

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verfügen" and "Vergnügen" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "verfügen" is a verb and "Vergnügen" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "verfügen" or "Vergnügen"?
"Vergnügen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,748 in our German list, against #4,839 for "verfügen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verfügen vs Vergnügen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “verfügen”; for a noun, it's “Vergnügen”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verfügen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list