Which to use
“verschlüsseln” is a verb and “verschlüsselt” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,695
- “verschlüsseln” frequency rank
- #16,313
- “verschlüsselt” frequency rank
- 56008
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | verschlüsseln | verschlüsselt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Nachricht so verändern, dass sie nur noch verstanden werden kann, wenn man die Maßnahmen (den Code) kennt, mit denen sie verändert wurde | in eine besondere, für Außenstehende nicht verständliche Form gebracht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set verschlüsseln and verschlüsselt apart are highlighted. They share 12 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: verschlüsseln is [fɛɐ̯ˈʃlʏsl̩n] while verschlüsselt is [fɛɐ̯ˈʃlʏsl̩t]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - n in “verschlüsseln” becomes t in “verschlüsselt”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 56008, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
verschlüsseln is recorded at frequency rank #39,695, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃlʏsl̩n]. verschlüsselt is at rank #16,313, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃlʏsl̩t].
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 56008, this pair ranks #957,239 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of verschlüsseln vs verschlüsselt
Shared letters: cehlrsvü. Private to "verschlüsseln": n. Private to "verschlüsselt": t.
"verschlüsseln" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCCCVCCVCC · "verschlüsselt" · 13 letters · shape CVCCCCCVCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "verschlüsseln" and "verschlüsselt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "verschlüsseln" or "verschlüsselt"?
Remembering verschlüsseln vs verschlüsselt
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “verschlüsseln”; for an adjective, it's “verschlüsselt”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “verschlüsseln” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable