Which to use
“verraten” and “versagen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,928
- “verraten” frequency rank
- #6,119
- “versagen” frequency rank
- 10047
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verraten | versagen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem ein Geheimnis oder eine vertrauliche Nachricht preisgeben | nicht so funktionieren, wie es geplant war oder üblich ist |
Where the eye mixes verraten and versagen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses verraten with versagen
A purely visual mix-up. verraten ([fɛɐ̯ˈʁaːtn̩]) and versagen ([fɛɐ̯ˈzaːɡn̩]) 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 10047, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verraten is recorded at frequency rank #3,928, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʁaːtn̩]. versagen is at rank #6,119, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzaːɡn̩].
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 10047, this pair ranks #1,977,041 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of verraten vs versagen
Shared letters: aenrv. Private to "verraten": t. Private to "versagen": gs.
"verraten" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "versagen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verraten" and "versagen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verraten" or "versagen"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "verraten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "versagen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,977,041 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "verraten" and "versagen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verraten vs Verrats". 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 #1,977,041 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.