vorgebenvsvorlesenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“vorgeben” and “vorlesen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#21,475
“vorgeben” frequency rank
#12,413
“vorlesen” frequency rank
33888
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vorgeben vorlesen
Definition eine Unwahrheit äußern und damit nur so tun als ob Schriftzeichen, Worte und Texte wahrnehmen und sprachlich laut wiedergeben; laut lesen, so dass andere es hören können

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vorgeben and vorlesen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
vorgeben
8 ch
vorlesen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. vorgeben ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩]) and vorlesen ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːzn̩]) 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 33888, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vorgeben is recorded at frequency rank #21,475, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩]. vorlesen is at rank #12,413, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːzn̩].

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 33888, this pair ranks #1,675,814 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of vorgeben vs vorlesen

Shared letters: enorv. Private to "vorgeben": bg. Private to "vorlesen": ls.

"vorgeben" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC  ·  "vorlesen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • vorgebenovrgeben · vogreben · voregben · vorgbeen · vorgebben · vorgebenn · vorgebne · vorgeebn
  • vorlesenovrlesen · volresen · vorelsen · vorleesn · vorlesenn · vorlesne · vorlessen · vorllesen

Frequency comparison

vorgeben#21,475
vorlesen#12,413

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vorgeben" and "vorlesen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːbn̩] versus [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːzn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "vorgeben" or "vorlesen"?
"vorlesen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,413 in our German list, against #21,475 for "vorgeben". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering vorgeben vs vorlesen

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 “vorgeben” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list