VerhütungvsVermutungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,741
“Verhütung” frequency rank
#6,483
“Vermutung” frequency rank
25224
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Verhütung Vermutung
Definition Einsatz von Mitteln, um ein unerwünschtes Ereignis zu verhindern eine ungesicherte Erkenntnis oder Annahme

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Verhütung
9 ch
Vermutung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Verhütung ([fɛɐ̯ˈhyːtʊŋ]) and Vermutung ([fɛɐ̯ˈmuːtʊŋ]) 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 25224, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Verhütung is recorded at frequency rank #18,741, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈhyːtʊŋ]. Vermutung is at rank #6,483, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈmuːtʊŋ].

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 25224, this pair ranks #1,836,358 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Verhütung vs Vermutung

Shared letters: egnrtuv. Private to "Verhütung": . Private to "Vermutung": m.

"Verhütung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC  ·  "Vermutung" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Vermutungevrmutung · vemrutung · vermmutung · vermtuung · vermutnug · vermuttung · vermutugn · vermutungg

Frequency comparison

Verhütung#18,741
Vermutung#6,483

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Verhütung" and "Vermutung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈhyːtʊŋ] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈmuːtʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Verhütung" or "Vermutung"?
"Vermutung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,483 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 Verhütung vs Vermutung

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 “Verhütung” 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