Which to use
“Vorlage” and “Vorlagen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,011
- “Vorlage” frequency rank
- #9,117
- “Vorlagen” frequency rank
- 13128
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vorlage | Vorlagen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hilfsmittel zur Erstellung ähnlicher Stücke (materiell oder informationstechnisch) | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Vorlage |
Where the eye mixes Vorlage and Vorlagen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. Vorlage runs 7 letters (CVCCVCV) against Vorlagen's 8 (CVCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Vorlage with Vorlagen
A purely visual mix-up. Vorlage ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːɡə]) and Vorlagen ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːɡn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Vorlage” sits inside “Vorlagen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13128, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Vorlage is recorded at frequency rank #4,011, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːɡə]. Vorlagen is at rank #9,117, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌlaːɡn̩].
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 13128, this pair ranks #1,959,935 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Vorlage vs Vorlagen
Shared letters: aeglorv. Private to "Vorlage": -. Private to "Vorlagen": n.
"Vorlage" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCV · "Vorlagen" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Vorlage" for "Vorlagen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Vorlage" or "Vorlagen" show up more?
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 "Vorlage" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Vorlagen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,959,935 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Vorlage" and "Vorlagen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Vorlagen vs Vorzügen". 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 #1,959,935 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.