Which to use
“verhaften” and “verhängen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,752
- “verhaften” frequency rank
- #27,545
- “verhängen” frequency rank
- 47297
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verhaften | verhängen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden in Haft, in Gewahrsam nehmen | etwas mit einem Tuch oder dergleichen zuhängen, verbergen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verhaften and verhängen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. verhaften ([fɛɐ̯ˈhaftn̩]) and verhängen ([fɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋən]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47297, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verhaften is recorded at frequency rank #19,752, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhaftn̩]. verhängen is at rank #27,545, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋən].
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 47297, this pair ranks #1,289,310 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of verhaften vs verhängen
Shared letters: ehnrv. Private to "verhaften": aft. Private to "verhängen": gä.
"verhaften" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC · "verhängen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- verhaften ← evrhaften · vehraften · verahften · verhafetn · verhafften · verhaftenn · verhaftne · verhaftten
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verhaften" and "verhängen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verhaften" or "verhängen"?
Remembering verhaften vs verhängen
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 “verhaften” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable