verhindertvsvermindernWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,695
“verhindert” frequency rank
#30,360
“vermindern” frequency rank
33055
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verhindert vermindern
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verhindern kleiner/weniger/geringer machen

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
verhindert
10 ch
vermindern

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. verhindert ([fɛɐ̯ˈhɪndɐt]) and vermindern ([fɛɐ̯ˈmɪndɐn]) 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 33055, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verhindert is recorded at frequency rank #2,695, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhɪndɐt]. vermindern is at rank #30,360, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈmɪndɐn].

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 33055, this pair ranks #1,694,269 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verhindert vs vermindern

Shared letters: deinrv. Private to "verhindert": ht. Private to "vermindern": m.

"verhindert" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC  ·  "vermindern" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • verhindertevrhindert · vehrindert · verhhindert · verhidnert · verhinddert · verhinderrt · verhindertt · verhindetr
  • vermindernevrmindern · vemrindern · verimndern · vermidnern · verminddern · vermindenr · vermindernn · verminderrn

Frequency comparison

verhindert#2,695
vermindern#30,360

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verhindert" and "vermindern" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈhɪndɐt] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈmɪndɐn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "verhindert" or "vermindern"?
"verhindert" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,695 in our German list, against #30,360 for "vermindern". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering verhindert vs vermindern

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 “verhindert” 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