VerlangenvsVorgängenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,272
“Verlangen” frequency rank
#25,393
“Vorgängen” frequency rank
27665
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Verlangen Vorgängen
Definition stark ausgeprägter Wunsch; körperlicher, seelischer, geistiger Drang, einen empfundenen Mangel auszugleichen Dativ Plural des Substantivs Vorgang

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Verlangen
9 ch
Vorgängen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Verlangen ([fɛɐ̯ˈlaŋən]) and Vorgängen ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡɛŋən]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27665, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Verlangen is recorded at frequency rank #2,272, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈlaŋən]. Vorgängen is at rank #25,393, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡɛŋən].

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 27665, this pair ranks #1,798,010 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Verlangen vs Vorgängen

Shared letters: egnrv. Private to "Verlangen": al. Private to "Vorgängen": .

"Verlangen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "Vorgängen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Verlangenevrlangen · velrangen · veralngen · verlagnen · verlanegn · verlangenn · verlanggen · verlangne

Frequency comparison

Verlangen#2,272
Vorgängen#25,393

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Verlangen" and "Vorgängen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈlaŋən] versus [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡɛŋən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Verlangen" or "Vorgängen"?
"Verlangen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,272 in our German list, against #25,393 for "Vorgängen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Verlangen vs Vorgängen

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 “Verlangen” 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