Which to use
“Verspätung” and “Verspätungen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,418
- “Verspätung” frequency rank
- #14,978
- “Verspätungen” frequency rank
- 22396
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Verspätung | Verspätungen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | die Tatsache, dass ein Ereignis später als geplant eintritt | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Verspätung |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Verspätung and Verspätungen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. Verspätung ([fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ]) and Verspätungen ([fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Verspätung” sits inside “Verspätungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22396, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Verspätung is recorded at frequency rank #7,418, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ]. Verspätungen is at rank #14,978, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋən].
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 22396, this pair ranks #1,874,690 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Verspätung vs Verspätungen
Shared letters: egnprstuvä. Private to "Verspätung": -. Private to "Verspätungen": -.
"Verspätung" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCC · "Verspätungen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCCVCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Verspätung" and "Verspätungen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Verspätung" or "Verspätungen"?
Remembering Verspätung vs Verspätungen
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 “Verspätung” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable