vorhervsvorhinWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#804
“vorher” frequency rank
#4,576
“vorhin” frequency rank
5380
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vorher vorhin
Definition vor diesem Zeitpunkt oder Vorgang vor kurzer Zeit

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vorher and vorhin apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
vorher
6 ch
vorhin

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. vorher ([ˈfoːɐ̯heːɐ̯]) and vorhin ([ˈfoːɐ̯hɪn]) 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 5380, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vorher is recorded at frequency rank #804, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯heːɐ̯]. vorhin is at rank #4,576, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯hɪn].

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 5380, this pair ranks #1,994,935 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of vorher vs vorhin

Shared letters: horv. Private to "vorher": e. Private to "vorhin": in.

"vorher" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "vorhin" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • vorherovrher · vohrer · vorehr · vorherr · vorhher · vorhre · vorrher · vroher
  • vorhinovrhin · vohrin · vorhhin · vorhinn · vorhni · vorihn · vorrhin · vrohin

Frequency comparison

vorher#804
vorhin#4,576

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vorher" and "vorhin" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfoːɐ̯heːɐ̯] versus [ˈfoːɐ̯hɪn]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "vorher" or "vorhin"?
"vorher" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #804 in our German list, against #4,576 for "vorhin". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering vorher vs vorhin

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 “vorher” 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