Which to use
“vergebens” is an adverb and “Vergebung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,862
- “vergebens” frequency rank
- #16,580
- “Vergebung” frequency rank
- 33442
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vergebens | Vergebung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu keinem Erfolg führend | Akt des Verzeihens |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vergebens and Vergebung apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: vergebens is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbn̩s] while Vergebung is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbʊŋ]. 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 (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33442, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vergebens is recorded at frequency rank #16,862, classified as anadv, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbn̩s]. Vergebung is at rank #16,580, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbʊŋ].
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 33442, this pair ranks #1,685,898 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vergebens vs Vergebung
Shared letters: begnrv. Private to "vergebens": s. Private to "Vergebung": u.
"vergebens" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC · "Vergebung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vergebens" and "Vergebung" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vergebens" or "Vergebung"?
Remembering vergebens vs Vergebung
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “vergebens”; for a noun, it's “Vergebung”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “vergebens” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable