Which to use
“vorgefallen” and “vorgehalten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #27,560
- “vorgefallen” frequency rank
- #27,561
- “vorgehalten” frequency rank
- 55121
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | vorgefallen | vorgehalten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs vorfallen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs vorhalten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vorgefallen and vorgehalten apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. vorgefallen ([ˈfoːɐ̯ɡəˌfalən]) and vorgehalten ([ˈfoːɐ̯ɡəˌhaltn̩]) 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 55121, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
vorgefallen is recorded at frequency rank #27,560, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ɡəˌfalən]. vorgehalten is at rank #27,561, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ɡəˌhaltn̩].
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 55121, this pair ranks #991,955 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of vorgefallen vs vorgehalten
Shared letters: aeglnorv. Private to "vorgefallen": f. Private to "vorgehalten": ht.
"vorgefallen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC · "vorgehalten" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- vorgefallen ← ovrgefallen · vogrefallen · voregfallen · vorgeafllen · vorgefaleln · vorgefalen · vorgefallenn · vorgefallne
- vorgehalten ← ovrgehalten · vogrehalten · voreghalten · vorgeahlten · vorgehaletn · vorgehallten · vorgehaltenn · vorgehaltne
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "vorgefallen" and "vorgehalten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "vorgefallen" or "vorgehalten"?
Remembering vorgefallen vs vorgehalten
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 “vorgefallen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable