Which to use
“verlesen” is a verb and “vermessen” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #19,753
- “verlesen” frequency rank
- #19,068
- “vermessen” frequency rank
- 38821
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verlesen | vermessen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Fehler beim Lesen machen; etwas falsch lesen; ein oder mehrere Worte beim Lesen verwechseln | übermäßig ehrgeizig und deshalb riskant |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verlesen and vermessen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verlesen is [fɛɐ̯ˈleːzn̩] while vermessen is [fɛɐ̯ˈmɛsn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38821, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verlesen is recorded at frequency rank #19,753, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈleːzn̩]. vermessen is at rank #19,068, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈmɛsn̩].
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 38821, this pair ranks #1,553,709 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verlesen vs vermessen
Shared letters: enrsv. Private to "verlesen": l. Private to "vermessen": m.
"verlesen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "vermessen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verlesen" and "vermessen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verlesen" or "vermessen"?
Remembering verlesen vs vermessen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “verlesen”; for an adjective, it's “vermessen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verlesen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable