Which to use
“verlängern” and “verringern” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,289
- “verlängern” frequency rank
- #9,291
- “verringern” frequency rank
- 18580
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verlängern | verringern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas (räumlich) länger machen; die (räumliche) Ausdehnung von etwas erhöhen | etwas kleiner, weniger machen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verlängern and verringern apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. verlängern ([fɛɐ̯ˈlɛŋɐn]) and verringern ([fɛɐ̯ˈʁɪŋɐn]) 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 18580, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verlängern is recorded at frequency rank #9,289, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈlɛŋɐn]. verringern is at rank #9,291, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʁɪŋɐn].
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 18580, this pair ranks #1,916,900 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verlängern vs verringern
Shared letters: egnrv. Private to "verlängern": lä. Private to "verringern": i.
"verlängern" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC · "verringern" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- verringern ← evrringern · veringern · verirngern · verrignern · verrinegrn · verringenr · verringernn · verringerrn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verlängern" and "verringern" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verlängern" or "verringern"?
Remembering verlängern vs verringern
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 “verlängern” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable