Which to use
“versagen” and “verstauen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,119
- “versagen” frequency rank
- #41,550
- “verstauen” frequency rank
- 47669
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | versagen | verstauen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht so funktionieren, wie es geplant war oder üblich ist | Gegenstände in einem Raum unterbringen |
Where the eye mixes versagen and verstauen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. versagen runs 8 letters (CVCCVCVC) against verstauen's 9 (CVCCCVVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses versagen with verstauen
A purely visual mix-up. versagen ([fɛɐ̯ˈzaːɡn̩]) and verstauen ([fɛɐ̯ˈʃtaʊ̯ən]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47669, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
versagen is recorded at frequency rank #6,119, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzaːɡn̩]. verstauen is at rank #41,550, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtaʊ̯ən].
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 47669, this pair ranks #1,276,212 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of versagen vs verstauen
Shared letters: aenrsv. Private to "versagen": g. Private to "verstauen": tu.
"versagen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC · "verstauen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "versagen" and "verstauen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "versagen" or "verstauen"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "versagen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "verstauen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,276,212 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "versagen" and "verstauen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Verhauen vs verstauen". 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 #1,276,212 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.