VerjährungvsVermählungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#29,842
“Verjährung” frequency rank
#41,545
“Vermählung” frequency rank
71387
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Verjährung Vermählung
Definition Verlust eines Anspruchs wegen Überschreitens einer festgelegten Frist (erzwungene oder freiwillige) Eheschließung zweier Personen

Where the spellings diverge

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

10 ch
Verjährung
10 ch
Vermählung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Verjährung ([fɛɐ̯ˈjɛːʁʊŋ]) and Vermählung ([fɛɐ̯ˈmɛːlʊŋ]) 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 71387, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Verjährung is recorded at frequency rank #29,842, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈjɛːʁʊŋ]. Vermählung is at rank #41,545, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈmɛːlʊŋ].

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 71387, this pair ranks #418,352 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Verjährung vs Vermählung

Shared letters: eghnruvä. Private to "Verjährung": j. Private to "Vermählung": lm.

"Verjährung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC  ·  "Vermählung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC

Frequency comparison

Verjährung#29,842
Vermählung#41,545

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Verjährung" and "Vermählung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈjɛːʁʊŋ] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈmɛːlʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Verjährung" or "Vermählung"?
"Verjährung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,842 in our German list, against #41,545 for "Vermählung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Verjährung vs Vermählung

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 “Verjährung” 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