Which to use
“vergiss” and “verwies” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,544
- “vergiss” frequency rank
- #15,251
- “verwies” frequency rank
- 22795
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vergiss | verwies |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs vergessen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs verweisen |
Where the eye mixes vergiss and verwies
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. vergiss (CVCCVCC) and verwies (CVCCVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses vergiss with verwies
A purely visual mix-up. vergiss ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡɪs]) and verwies ([fɛɐ̯ˈviːs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22795, 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]. verwies is at rank #15,251, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈviːs].
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 22795, this pair ranks #1,869,661 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vergiss vs verwies
Shared letters: eirsv. Private to "vergiss": g. Private to "verwies": w.
"vergiss" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "verwies" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "vergiss" for "verwies" ever safe?
Frequency check: "vergiss" vs "verwies" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "vergiss" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "verwies" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,869,661 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vergiss" and "verwies" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verwies vs verzieh". 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 #1,869,661 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.