versenktvsversetztConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#14,702
“versenkt” frequency rank
#4,081
“versetzt” frequency rank
18783
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature versenkt versetzt
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs versenken Partizip Perfekt des Verbs versetzen

Where the eye mixes versenkt and versetzt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. versenkt and versetzt follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CVCCVCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.

8 ch
versenkt
8 ch
versetzt

Why the eye confuses versenkt with versetzt

A purely visual mix-up. versenkt ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɛŋkt]) and versetzt ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡st]) 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 18783, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

versenkt is recorded at frequency rank #14,702, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛŋkt]. versetzt is at rank #4,081, tagged as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡st].

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 18783, this pair ranks #1,914,972 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of versenkt vs versetzt

Shared letters: erstv. Private to "versenkt": kn. Private to "versetzt": z.

"versenkt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC  ·  "versetzt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • versenkt ← evrsenkt · veresnkt · verrsenkt · verseknt · versenkkt · versenktt · versennkt · versentk
  • versetzt ← evrsetzt · verestzt · verrsetzt · versettz · versettzt · versetztt · versetzzt · verseztt

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "versenkt" for "versetzt" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([fɛɐ̯ˈzɛŋkt] versus [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "versenkt" or "versetzt"?
"versetzt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,081 in our German list, against #14,702 for "versenkt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "versenkt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "versetzt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,914,972 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "versenkt" and "versetzt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verkennt vs versenkt". 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 #1,914,972 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list