Which to use
“versprechen” and “vorsprechen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,286
- “versprechen” frequency rank
- #49,367
- “vorsprechen” frequency rank
- 52653
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | versprechen | vorsprechen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas verbindlich zusagen | (eine höhergestellte Person, die etwas zu sagen hat) besuchen und um etwas bitten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set versprechen and vorsprechen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
versprechen and vorsprechen form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by a single letter - e in “versprechen” becomes o in “vorsprechen” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52653, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
versprechen is recorded at frequency rank #3,286, classified as averb, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃpʁɛçn̩]. vorsprechen is at rank #49,367, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌʃpʁɛçn̩].
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 52653, this pair ranks #1,088,510 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "versprechen" and "vorsprechen" be used interchangeably?
Remembering versprechen vs vorsprechen
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 “versprechen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable