Which to use
“verlesen” and “vorlesen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,753
- “verlesen” frequency rank
- #12,413
- “vorlesen” frequency rank
- 32166
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verlesen | vorlesen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Fehler beim Lesen machen; etwas falsch lesen; ein oder mehrere Worte beim Lesen verwechseln | Schriftzeichen, Worte und Texte wahrnehmen und sprachlich laut wiedergeben; laut lesen, so dass andere es hören können |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verlesen and vorlesen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. verlesen ([fɛɐ̯ˈleːzn̩]) and vorlesen ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːzn̩]) 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 “verlesen” becomes o in “vorlesen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32166, 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]. vorlesen is at rank #12,413, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːzn̩].
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 32166, this pair ranks #1,713,349 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verlesen vs vorlesen
Shared letters: elnrsv. Private to "verlesen": -. Private to "vorlesen": o.
"verlesen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "vorlesen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verlesen" and "vorlesen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verlesen" or "vorlesen"?
Remembering verlesen vs vorlesen
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 “verlesen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable