VergiftungvsVergütungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Vergiftung” and “Vergütung” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#22,947
“Vergiftung” frequency rank
#12,193
“Vergütung” frequency rank
35140
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Vergiftung Vergütung
Definition körperliche Schädigung durch Einnahme von Gift Geldsumme, mit der etwas vergütet wird; zum Beispiel Geld als Gegenleistung für eine Arbeit, Ware, Entschädigung oder ein Nutzungsrecht

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Vergiftung and Vergütung apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
Vergiftung
9 ch
Vergütung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Vergiftung ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪftʊŋ]) 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 35140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Vergiftung is recorded at frequency rank #22,947, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪftʊŋ]. 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 35140, this pair ranks #1,647,109 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Vergiftung vs Vergütung

Shared letters: egnrtuv. Private to "Vergiftung": fi. Private to "Vergütung": ü.

"Vergiftung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC  ·  "Vergütung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Vergiftungevrgiftung · vegriftung · vergfitung · verggiftung · vergifftung · vergiftnug · vergifttung · vergiftugn

Frequency comparison

Vergiftung#22,947
Vergütung#12,193

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Vergiftung" and "Vergütung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪftʊŋ] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈɡyːtʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Vergiftung" or "Vergütung"?
"Vergütung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,193 in our German list, against #22,947 for "Vergiftung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Vergiftung vs Vergütung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Vergiftung” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list