Which to use
“Verlauf” and “Vorlauf” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,183
- “Verlauf” frequency rank
- #22,957
- “Vorlauf” frequency rank
- 25140
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Verlauf | Vorlauf |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Abfolge von Geschehnissen oder Handlungen | die normale Laufrichtung |
Where the eye mixes Verlauf and Vorlauf
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. Verlauf and Vorlauf follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: Verlauf vs Vorlauf
A purely visual mix-up. Verlauf ([fɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯f]) and Vorlauf ([ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - e in “Verlauf” becomes o in “Vorlauf”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25140, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Verlauf is recorded at frequency rank #2,183, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯f]. Vorlauf is at rank #22,957, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯laʊ̯f].
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 25140, this pair ranks #1,837,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Verlauf vs Vorlauf
Shared letters: aflruv. Private to "Verlauf": e. Private to "Vorlauf": o.
"Verlauf" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC · "Vorlauf" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Verlauf" and "Vorlauf" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Verlauf" or "Vorlauf"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Verlauf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorlauf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,837,568 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Verlauf" and "Vorlauf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vollauf vs Vorlauf". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,837,568 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.