verlegenvsverzogenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#6,482
“verlegen” frequency rank
#27,555
“verzogen” frequency rank
34037
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature verlegen verzogen
Definition eine Sache an einem Ort ablegen, an den man sich später nicht mehr erinnern kann (meist im Nachhinein benutzt: verlegt haben) 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs verziehen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
verlegen
8 ch
verzogen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. verlegen ([fɛɐ̯ˈleːɡn̩]) and verzogen ([fɛɐ̯ˈt͡soːɡn̩]) 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 34037, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

verlegen is recorded at frequency rank #6,482, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈleːɡn̩]. verzogen is at rank #27,555, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈt͡soːɡn̩].

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 34037, this pair ranks #1,672,399 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of verlegen vs verzogen

Shared letters: egnrv. Private to "verlegen": l. Private to "verzogen": oz.

"verlegen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "verzogen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • verlegenevrlegen · velregen · verelgen · verleegn · verlegenn · verleggen · verlegne · verlgeen
  • verzogenevrzogen · verozgen · verrzogen · verzgoen · verzoegn · verzogenn · verzoggen · verzogne

Frequency comparison

verlegen#6,482
verzogen#27,555

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "verlegen" and "verzogen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈleːɡn̩] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈt͡soːɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "verlegen" or "verzogen"?
"verlegen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,482 in our German list, against #27,555 for "verzogen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering verlegen vs verzogen

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 “verlegen” 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