Which to use
“vergiss” and “vermisst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,544
- “vergiss” frequency rank
- #3,344
- “vermisst” frequency rank
- 10888
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vergiss | vermisst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs vergessen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs vermissen |
Where the eye mixes vergiss and vermisst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. vergiss runs 7 letters (CVCCVCC) against vermisst's 8 (CVCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses vergiss with vermisst
A purely visual mix-up. vergiss ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪs]) and vermisst ([fɛɐ̯ˈmɪst]) 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 10888, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vergiss is recorded at frequency rank #7,544, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪs]. vermisst is at rank #3,344, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈmɪst].
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 10888, this pair ranks #1,972,805 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vergiss vs vermisst
Shared letters: eirsv. Private to "vergiss": g. Private to "vermisst": mt.
"vergiss" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "vermisst" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "vergiss" and "vermisst" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "vergiss" or "vermisst" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "vergiss" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "vermisst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,972,805 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vergiss" and "vermisst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vergiss vs verpass". 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 #1,972,805 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.