verhängenvsVorhängeWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: verhängen is a verb, Vorhänge is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“verhängen” is a verb and “Vorhänge” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#27,545
“verhängen” frequency rank
#18,755
“Vorhänge” frequency rank
46300
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verhängen Vorhänge
Definition etwas mit einem Tuch oder dergleichen zuhängen, verbergen Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Vorhang

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verhängen and Vorhänge apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
verhängen
8 ch
Vorhänge

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verhängen is [fɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋən] while Vorhänge is [ˈfoːɐ̯hɛŋə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46300, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verhängen is recorded at frequency rank #27,545, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋən]. Vorhänge is at rank #18,755, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯hɛŋə].

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 46300, this pair ranks #1,323,893 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of verhängen vs Vorhänge

Shared letters: eghnrvä. Private to "verhängen": -. Private to "Vorhänge": o.

"verhängen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "Vorhänge" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV

Frequency comparison

verhängen#27,545
Vorhänge#18,755

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verhängen" and "Vorhänge" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "verhängen" is a verb and "Vorhänge" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "verhängen" or "Vorhänge"?
"Vorhänge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,755 in our German list, against #27,545 for "verhängen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verhängen vs Vorhänge

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “verhängen”; for a noun, it's “Vorhänge”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verhängen” 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