versenkenvsversetzenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“versenken” and “versetzen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#22,951
“versenken” frequency rank
#9,654
“versetzen” frequency rank
32605
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature versenken versetzen
Definition in einem anderen Objekt bündig verschwinden lassen vor einer Stelle zu einer anderen bewegen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set versenken and versetzen apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
versenken
9 ch
versetzen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. versenken ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɛŋkn̩]) and versetzen ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩]) 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 32605, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

versenken is recorded at frequency rank #22,951, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛŋkn̩]. versetzen is at rank #9,654, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩].

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 32605, this pair ranks #1,704,046 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of versenken vs versetzen

Shared letters: enrsv. Private to "versenken": k. Private to "versetzen": tz.

"versenken" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "versetzen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • versenkenevrsenken · veresnken · verrsenken · verseknen · versenekn · versenkenn · versenkken · versenkne
  • versetzenevrsetzen · verestzen · verrsetzen · versetezn · versettzen · versetzenn · versetzne · versetzzen

Frequency comparison

versenken#22,951
versetzen#9,654

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "versenken" and "versetzen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɛŋkn̩] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "versenken" or "versetzen"?
"versetzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,654 in our German list, against #22,951 for "versenken". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering versenken vs versetzen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “versenken” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list