Which to use
“vorbeigehen” and “vorbeiziehen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,780
- “vorbeigehen” frequency rank
- #47,108
- “vorbeiziehen” frequency rank
- 67888
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vorbeigehen | vorbeiziehen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | erst zu Fuß näher herankommen und sich dann wieder entfernen | sich an jemandem oder etwas vorbei bewegen, der/das selbst still stehen bleibt ( in einem sich bewegenden Fahrzeug sein, während sich die Aussicht deshalb verändert, weil man sich fortbewegt) sich vor dem Fenster/Ausblick verändern |
Where the eye mixes vorbeigehen and vorbeiziehen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence. vorbeigehen runs 11 letters (CVCCVVCVCVC) against vorbeiziehen's 12 (CVCCVVCVVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses vorbeigehen with vorbeiziehen
A purely visual mix-up. vorbeigehen ([foːɐ̯ˈbaɪ̯ˌɡeːən]) and vorbeiziehen ([foːɐ̯ˈbaɪ̯ˌt͡siːən]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67888, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vorbeigehen is recorded at frequency rank #20,780, classified as averb, pronounced [foːɐ̯ˈbaɪ̯ˌɡeːən]. vorbeiziehen is at rank #47,108, tagged as averb, pronounced [foːɐ̯ˈbaɪ̯ˌt͡siːən].
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 67888, this pair ranks #525,475 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of vorbeigehen vs vorbeiziehen
Shared letters: behinorv. Private to "vorbeigehen": g. Private to "vorbeiziehen": z.
"vorbeigehen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVVCVCVC · "vorbeiziehen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVVCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- vorbeigehen ← ovrbeigehen · vobreigehen · vorbbeigehen · vorbegiehen · vorbeieghen · vorbeigeehn · vorbeigehenn · vorbeigehhen
- vorbeiziehen ← ovrbeiziehen · vobreiziehen · vorbbeiziehen · vorbeiizehen · vorbeizeihen · vorbeizieehn · vorbeiziehenn · vorbeiziehhen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vorbeigehen" and "vorbeiziehen" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "vorbeigehen" or "vorbeiziehen" show up more?
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 "vorbeigehen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "vorbeiziehen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #525,475 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- 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 #525,475 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.