vorlagvsvorlegtConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#29,854
“vorlag” frequency rank
#41,565
“vorlegt” frequency rank
71419
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vorlag vorlegt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs vorliegen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv der Nebensatzkonjugation des Verbs vorlegen

Where the eye mixes vorlag and vorlegt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. vorlag runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against vorlegt's 7 (CVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

6 ch
vorlag
7 ch
vorlegt

Visual trap between vorlag and vorlegt

A purely visual mix-up. vorlag ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːk]) and vorlegt ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːkt]) 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 71419, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vorlag is recorded at frequency rank #29,854, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːk]. vorlegt is at rank #41,565, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːkt].

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 71419, this pair ranks #417,379 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of vorlag vs vorlegt

Shared letters: glorv. Private to "vorlag": a. Private to "vorlegt": et.

"vorlag" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "vorlegt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • vorlag ← ovrlag · volrag · voralg · vorlagg · vorlga · vorllag · vorrlag · vrolag
  • vorlegt ← ovrlegt · volregt · vorelgt · vorleggt · vorlegtt · vorletg · vorlget · vorllegt

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "vorlag" and "vorlegt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːk] versus [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌleːkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "vorlag" vs "vorlegt" - which ranks higher?
"vorlag" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,854 in our German list, against #41,565 for "vorlegt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "vorlag" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "vorlegt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #417,379 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "vorlag" and "vorlegt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "vorlegt vs vorliest". 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 #417,379 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list