Which to use
“versauen” and “verstauen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,116
- “versauen” frequency rank
- #41,550
- “verstauen” frequency rank
- 62666
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | versauen | verstauen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas sehr, sehr schlecht erledigen oder behandeln, so dass es missglückt oder zerstört ist | Gegenstände in einem Raum unterbringen |
Where the eye mixes versauen and verstauen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. versauen runs 8 letters (CVCCVVVC) against verstauen's 9 (CVCCCVVVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: versauen vs verstauen
A purely visual mix-up. versauen ([fɛɐ̯ˈzaʊ̯ən]) 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 62666, 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]. 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 62666, this pair ranks #704,531 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of versauen vs verstauen
Shared letters: aenrsuv. Private to "versauen": -. Private to "verstauen": t.
"versauen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVVVC · "verstauen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "versauen" for "verstauen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "versauen" or "verstauen"?
Useful next steps
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 "verstauen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #704,531 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "versauen" 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 #704,531 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.