Which to use
“vorbei” and “vorweg” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #627
- “vorbei” frequency rank
- #16,597
- “vorweg” frequency rank
- 17224
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vorbei | vorweg |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | bereits zu einem Ende gekommen, vergangen | zeitlich vorher, vor einem anderen Ereignis |
Where the eye mixes vorbei and vorweg
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. vorbei (CVCCVV) and vorweg (CVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: vorbei vs vorweg
A purely visual mix-up. vorbei ([foːɐ̯ˈbaɪ̯]) and vorweg ([foːɐ̯ˈvɛk]) 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 17224, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vorbei is recorded at frequency rank #627, classified as anadv, pronounced [foːɐ̯ˈbaɪ̯]. vorweg is at rank #16,597, tagged as anadv, pronounced [foːɐ̯ˈvɛk].
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 17224, this pair ranks #1,929,280 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of vorbei vs vorweg
Shared letters: eorv. Private to "vorbei": bi. Private to "vorweg": gw.
"vorbei" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVV · "vorweg" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "vorbei" for "vorweg" ever safe?
Which is more common, "vorbei" or "vorweg"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "vorbei" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "vorweg" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,929,280 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "vorbei" and "vorweg" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vorneweg vs vorweg". 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 #1,929,280 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.