Which to use
“Vergeltung” and “Vergütung” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,424
- “Vergeltung” frequency rank
- #12,193
- “Vergütung” frequency rank
- 30617
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vergeltung | Vergütung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Strafe, Genugtuung für eine (meist negative) Handlung | Geldsumme, mit der etwas vergütet wird; zum Beispiel Geld als Gegenleistung für eine Arbeit, Ware, Entschädigung oder ein Nutzungsrecht |
Where the eye mixes Vergeltung and Vergütung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. Vergeltung runs 10 letters (CVCCVCCVCC) against Vergütung's 9 (CVCCVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Vergeltung vs Vergütung
A purely visual mix-up. Vergeltung ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɛltʊŋ]) and Vergütung ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡyːtʊŋ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30617, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Vergeltung is recorded at frequency rank #18,424, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡɛltʊŋ]. Vergütung is at rank #12,193, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡyːtʊŋ].
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 30617, this pair ranks #1,744,347 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Vergeltung vs Vergütung
Shared letters: egnrtuv. Private to "Vergeltung": l. Private to "Vergütung": ü.
"Vergeltung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC · "Vergütung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Vergeltung ← evrgeltung · vegreltung · veregltung · vergelltung · vergeltnug · vergelttung · vergeltugn · vergeltungg
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Vergeltung" and "Vergütung" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Vergeltung" vs "Vergütung" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Vergeltung" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vergütung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,744,347 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Vergeltung" and "Vergütung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vergütung vs Vergütungen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,744,347 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.