Which to use
“versauen” and “versäumt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,116
- “versauen” frequency rank
- #15,249
- “versäumt” frequency rank
- 36365
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | versauen | versäumt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas sehr, sehr schlecht erledigen oder behandeln, so dass es missglückt oder zerstört ist | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs versäumen |
Where the eye mixes versauen and versäumt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. versauen (CVCCVVVC) and versäumt (CVCCVVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses versauen with versäumt
A purely visual mix-up. versauen ([fɛɐ̯ˈzaʊ̯ən]) and versäumt ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɔɪ̯mt]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36365, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
versauen is recorded at frequency rank #21,116, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzaʊ̯ən]. versäumt is at rank #15,249, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɔɪ̯mt].
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 36365, this pair ranks #1,617,447 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of versauen vs versäumt
Shared letters: ersuv. Private to "versauen": an. Private to "versäumt": mtä.
"versauen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVVVC · "versäumt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- versauen ← evrsauen · verasuen · verrsauen · versaeun · versauenn · versaune · verssauen · versuaen
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "versauen" and "versäumt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "versauen" or "versäumt"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "versauen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "versäumt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,617,447 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "versauen" and "versäumt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vergaben vs versauen". 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 #1,617,447 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.