Which to use
“vergebens” is an adverb and “vergehen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,862
- “vergebens” frequency rank
- #6,606
- “vergehen” frequency rank
- 23468
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vergebens | vergehen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu keinem Erfolg führend | (rasch) zu Ende kommen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vergebens and vergehen 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 vergehen is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːən]. 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 (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23468, 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]. vergehen is at rank #6,606, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːən].
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 23468, this pair ranks #1,860,930 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vergebens vs vergehen
Shared letters: egnrv. Private to "vergebens": bs. Private to "vergehen": h.
"vergebens" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC · "vergehen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vergebens" and "vergehen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vergebens" or "vergehen"?
Remembering vergebens vs vergehen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “vergebens”; for a verb, it's “vergehen”.
- 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