vorstellenvsvorzustellenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,145
“vorstellen” frequency rank
#8,653
“vorzustellen” frequency rank
9798
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature vorstellen vorzustellen
Definition etwas nach vorne stellen erweiterter Infinitiv Aktiv des Verbs vorstellen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set vorstellen and vorzustellen apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
vorstellen
12 ch
vorzustellen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. vorstellen ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlən]) and vorzustellen ([ˈfoːɐ̯t͡suˌʃtɛlən]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9798, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

vorstellen is recorded at frequency rank #1,145, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlən]. vorzustellen is at rank #8,653, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfoːɐ̯t͡suˌʃtɛlən].

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 9798, this pair ranks #1,978,252 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of vorstellen vs vorzustellen

Shared letters: elnorstv. Private to "vorstellen": -. Private to "vorzustellen": uz.

"vorstellen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC  ·  "vorzustellen" · 12 letters · shape CVCCVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • vorstellenovrstellen · vorrstellen · vorsetllen · vorsstellen · vorsteleln · vorstelen · vorstellenn · vorstellne
  • vorzustellenovrzustellen · vorrzustellen · voruzstellen · vorzsutellen · vorzusetllen · vorzusstellen · vorzusteleln · vorzustelen

Frequency comparison

vorstellen#1,145
vorzustellen#8,653

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "vorstellen" and "vorzustellen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfoːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlən] versus [ˈfoːɐ̯t͡suˌʃtɛlən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "vorstellen" or "vorzustellen"?
"vorstellen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,145 in our German list, against #8,653 for "vorzustellen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering vorstellen vs vorzustellen

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 “vorstellen” 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