verlangevsverlaufeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,584
“verlange” frequency rank
#27,548
“verlaufe” frequency rank
44132
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verlange verlaufe
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verlangen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs verlaufen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verlange and verlaufe apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
verlange
8 ch
verlaufe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

verlange and verlaufe form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44132, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verlange is recorded at frequency rank #16,584, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈlaŋə]. verlaufe is at rank #27,548, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯fə].

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 44132, this pair ranks #1,396,000 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

verlange#16,584
verlaufe#27,548

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verlange" and "verlaufe" be used interchangeably?
No, "verlange" and "verlaufe" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering verlange vs verlaufe

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 “verlange” 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