Which to use
“vergeben” is an adjective and “verlesen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,694
- “vergeben” frequency rank
- #19,753
- “verlesen” frequency rank
- 22447
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vergeben | verlesen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit einem Partner fest zusammenlebend | einen Fehler beim Lesen machen; etwas falsch lesen; ein oder mehrere Worte beim Lesen verwechseln |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vergeben and verlesen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: vergeben is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbn̩] while verlesen is [fɛɐ̯ˈleːzn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22447, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vergeben is recorded at frequency rank #2,694, classified as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbn̩]. verlesen is at rank #19,753, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈleːzn̩].
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 22447, this pair ranks #1,874,046 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vergeben vs verlesen
Shared letters: enrv. Private to "vergeben": bg. Private to "verlesen": ls.
"vergeben" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "verlesen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vergeben" and "verlesen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vergeben" or "verlesen"?
Remembering vergeben vs verlesen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “vergeben”; for a verb, it's “verlesen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “vergeben” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable