Which to use
“Verzug” is a noun and “vierzig” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #20,459
- “Verzug” frequency rank
- #13,269
- “vierzig” frequency rank
- 33728
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Verzug | vierzig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Verspätung, Rückstand bei der Erfüllung einer ausstehenden Schuld oder Pflicht | Kardinalzahl zwischen neununddreißig und einundvierzig, vier mal zehn (siehe auch dreißig und fünfzig) |
Where the eye mixes Verzug and vierzig
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Verzug and vierzig
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Verzug is [fɛɐ̯ˈt͡suːk] while vierzig is [ˈfɪʁt͡sɪç]. 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 (noun vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 33728, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Verzug is recorded at frequency rank #20,459, classified as anoun, pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈt͡suːk]. vierzig is at rank #13,269, tagged as anum, pronounced [ˈfɪʁt͡sɪç].
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 33728, this pair ranks #1,679,414 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Verzug vs vierzig
Shared letters: egrvz. Private to "Verzug": u. Private to "vierzig": i.
"Verzug" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "vierzig" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Verzug" and "vierzig" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "Verzug" or "vierzig" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Verzug" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "vierzig" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,679,414 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Verzug" and "vierzig" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Verruf vs Verzug". 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 #1,679,414 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.