Which to use
“vergebens” is an adverb and “vorgeben” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #16,862
- “vergebens” frequency rank
- #21,475
- “vorgeben” frequency rank
- 38337
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vergebens | vorgeben |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | zu keinem Erfolg führend | eine Unwahrheit äußern und damit nur so tun als ob |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vergebens and vorgeben 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 vorgeben is [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩]. 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 38337, 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]. vorgeben is at rank #21,475, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩].
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 38337, this pair ranks #1,566,596 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vergebens vs vorgeben
Shared letters: begnrv. Private to "vergebens": s. Private to "vorgeben": o.
"vergebens" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC · "vorgeben" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vergebens" and "vorgeben" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vergebens" or "vorgeben"?
Remembering vergebens vs vorgeben
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 “vorgeben”.
- 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