Which to use
“Vorfahren” and “Vorfahrt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,744
- “Vorfahren” frequency rank
- #19,444
- “Vorfahrt” frequency rank
- 26188
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vorfahren | Vorfahrt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Vorfahr | Recht, bei sich kreuzenden Verkehrswegen seine Fahrt als Erster fortzusetzen |
Where the eye mixes Vorfahren and Vorfahrt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Vorfahren runs 9 letters (CVCCVCCVC) against Vorfahrt's 8 (CVCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Vorfahren and Vorfahrt
A purely visual mix-up. Vorfahren ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːʁən]) and Vorfahrt ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯t]) 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 26188, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Vorfahren is recorded at frequency rank #6,744, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːʁən]. Vorfahrt is at rank #19,444, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfaːɐ̯t].
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 26188, this pair ranks #1,821,845 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Vorfahren vs Vorfahrt
Shared letters: afhorv. Private to "Vorfahren": en. Private to "Vorfahrt": t.
"Vorfahren" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC · "Vorfahrt" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Vorfahren" and "Vorfahrt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Vorfahren" or "Vorfahrt"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorfahren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorfahrt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,821,845 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Vorfahren" and "Vorfahrt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "verjährt vs Vorfahrt". 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 #1,821,845 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.