versetzenvsversetztenConfusable pair

Quick tell: versetzen is a verb, versetzten is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“versetzen” is a verb and “versetzten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#9,654
“versetzen” frequency rank
#38,496
“versetzten” frequency rank
48150
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature versetzen versetzten
Definition vor einer Stelle zu einer anderen bewegen Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs versetzt

Where the eye mixes versetzen and versetzten

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. versetzen runs 9 letters (CVCCVCCVC) against versetzten's 10 (CVCCVCCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

9 ch
versetzen
10 ch
versetzten

Look-alike desk: versetzen vs versetzten

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: versetzen is [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩] while versetzten is [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡stn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48150, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

versetzen is recorded at frequency rank #9,654, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩]. versetzten is at rank #38,496, tagged as anadj, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡stn̩].

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 48150, this pair ranks #1,259,010 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of versetzen vs versetzten

Shared letters: enrstvz. Private to "versetzen": -. Private to "versetzten": -.

"versetzen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "versetzten" · 10 letters · shape CVCCVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • versetzen ← evrsetzen · verestzen · verrsetzen · versetezn · versettzen · versetzenn · versetzne · versetzzen
  • versetzten ← evrsetzten · verestzten · verrsetzten · versettzten · versetzetn · versetztenn · versetztne · versetztten

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "versetzen" and "versetzten" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "versetzen" is a verb and "versetzten" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "versetzen" or "versetzten"?
"versetzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,654 in our German list, against #38,496 for "versetzten". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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 "versetzen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "versetzten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,259,010 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "versetzen" and "versetzten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vernetzten vs versetzten". 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 #1,259,010 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