verfügtvsversagtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,001
“verfügt” frequency rank
#5,896
“versagt” frequency rank
8897
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verfügt versagt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verfügen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs versagen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verfügt and versagt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
verfügt
7 ch
versagt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. verfügt ([fɛɐ̯ˈfyːkt]) and versagt ([fɛɐ̯ˈzaːkt]) 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 8897, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verfügt is recorded at frequency rank #3,001, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈfyːkt]. versagt is at rank #5,896, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzaːkt].

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 8897, this pair ranks #1,982,324 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verfügt vs versagt

Shared letters: egrtv. Private to "verfügt": . Private to "versagt": as.

"verfügt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "versagt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • versagtevrsagt · verasgt · verrsagt · versaggt · versagtt · versatg · versgat · verssagt

Frequency comparison

verfügt#3,001
versagt#5,896

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verfügt" and "versagt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈfyːkt] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈzaːkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "verfügt" or "versagt"?
"verfügt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,001 in our German list, against #5,896 for "versagt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verfügt vs versagt

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 “verfügt” 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