VergütungvsVerhütungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#12,193
“Vergütung” frequency rank
#18,741
“Verhütung” frequency rank
30934
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Vergütung Verhütung
Definition Geldsumme, mit der etwas vergütet wird; zum Beispiel Geld als Gegenleistung für eine Arbeit, Ware, Entschädigung oder ein Nutzungsrecht Einsatz von Mitteln, um ein unerwünschtes Ereignis zu verhindern

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Vergütung
9 ch
Verhütung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Vergütung ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡyːtʊŋ]) and Verhütung ([fɛɐ̯ˈhyːtʊŋ]) 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 a single letter - g in “Vergütung” becomes h in “Verhütung”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30934, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Vergütung is recorded at frequency rank #12,193, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈɡyːtʊŋ]. Verhütung is at rank #18,741, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhyːtʊŋ].

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 30934, this pair ranks #1,738,105 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Vergütung vs Verhütung

Shared letters: egnrtuvü. Private to "Vergütung": -. Private to "Verhütung": h.

"Vergütung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC  ·  "Verhütung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

Vergütung#12,193
Verhütung#18,741

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Vergütung" and "Verhütung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈɡyːtʊŋ] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈhyːtʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Vergütung" or "Verhütung"?
"Vergütung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,193 in our German list, against #18,741 for "Verhütung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Vergütung vs Verhütung

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 “Vergütung” 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