vgl.

[fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪ̯çə]

/[fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪ̯çə]/ abbrev

The verdict

“vgl.” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as an abbreviation. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - vergleiche […]

Corpus desk

Index DE-vgl · vgl. · German

vgl. · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-0 0 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "V" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for vgl.
PropertyValue
Headwordvgl.
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAbbreviation
IPA[fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪ̯çə]
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „vgl.“ im Deutschen

vgl.liegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

vgl. is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anabbreviation, transcribed [fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪ̯çə]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "vergleiche […]".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for vgl., a sign its spelling follows regular German conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is vgl., spelled V-G-L-..

Definition

  1. 1
    vergleiche […]

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how vgl. appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] (vgl. Seite 841) […]
  2. Vgl. Nils Nick, Der Siegeszug der Harvard-Zitierweise, GNT-Verlag, o. O. ²1999, Seite 11 f.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vgl."?
"vgl." is spelled V-G-L-.. The IPA pronunciation is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪ̯çə].
What does "vgl." mean?
As an abbreviation, "vgl." means: vergleiche […]
How do you pronounce "vgl."?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vgl." is [fɛɐ̯ˈɡlaɪ̯çə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "vgl." come from?
"vgl." is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list