vorgehen

[ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən]

/[ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən]/ verb

The verdict

“vorgehen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,006 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,006
frequency rank, German
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - sich nach vorne bewegen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

vorgehen vs vorgeht
75% similar
vorgehen vs vorlesen
75% similar
vorgehen vs vorlegen
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for vorgehen
PropertyValue
Headwordvorgehen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən]
Letters8
Frequency rank#3,006
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vorgehen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). vorgehen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for vorgehen is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,006 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for vorgehen, with forms such as "ovrgehen", "vogrehen", and "voreghen". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "vorgeht", "vorlesen", "vorlegen", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is vorgehen, spelled V-O-R-G-E-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    sich nach vorne bewegen
  2. 2
    vor jemand anderem aufbrechen oder gehen
  3. 3
    geschehen
  4. 4
    etwas in einem bestimmten Ablauf tun
  5. 5
    gegen etwas einschreiten, sich gegen etwas wehren
  6. 6
    Vorrang haben
  7. 7
    eine Uhrzeit zu früh anzeigen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ovrgehen,vogrehen,voreghen,vorgeehn,vorgehenn,vorgehhen,vorgehne,vorggehen,vorgheen,vorrgehen,vrogehen,vvorgehen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vorgehen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ovrgehen2vogrehen2voreghen2vorgeehn2vorgehenn1vorgehhen1vorgehne2vorggehen1
Edit distance from "vorgehen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vorgehen"?
"vorgehen" is spelled V-O-R-G-E-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən].
What does "vorgehen" mean?
As a verb, "vorgehen" means: sich nach vorne bewegen
What words are commonly confused with "vorgehen"?
"vorgehen" is commonly confused with "vorgeht", "vorlesen", "vorlegen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vorgehen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vorgehen" is [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "vorgehen" come from?
"vorgehen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Using “vorgehen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is V-O-R-G-E-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌɡeːən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “vorgeht” - see the side-by-side comparison. vorgehen vs vorgeht
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list